A bad injury at the gym can limit your ability to exercise for months, so it’s important to stay safe. Here are some tips that will help you avoid some of the most common gym injuries.
1 – Warm-up and stretch
A good warm-up should last about 10 minutes and work all your major muscle groups. And it’s important to warm up before you start exercising, especially if you are doing strength training. Humans aren’t made to go from resting to full throttle right away, so your body is more vulnerable to suffering injuries while it is cold.
After your warm-up is when you should stretch. Again, it’s good to stretch your main muscle groups, and pay special attention to areas that you are going to work harder. For example, runners need to make sure they also stretch their hip muscles, while weight lifters need to worry about their shoulders.
2 – Mind your footing
A very bad slip and fall can land you in the hospital in any circumstance, but it can be worse in the gym. When you are running on a treadmill or lifting heavy weights, slipping or losing your footing can be catastrophic.
The solution is to wear good gym shoes when you work out. Said shoes don’t have to be expensive or fancy, they just need to provide a good grip and be reasonably comfortable.
3 – Watch your form
Bad form is one of the leading causes of gym injuries. Knowing how to bench press or deadlift is important, but even running with the wrong form can do a number on your joints and muscles. This is why having a personal trainer or gym instructor giving you tips is so important — they can help you learn the right forms, which can prevent injury.
4 – Mind your surroundings
There is no getting around it. Whether you are cycling with friends or exercising in one of the best gyms Dubai, one of the main sources of injury you need to watch out for is mistakes made by other people.
In the gym this could mean someone misplacing the gym equipment, dropping something, or even someone falling out of the treadmill just as you are walking past it. Some mistakes happen due to a lack of etiquette, others are genuine blunders that could happen to everyone, and they all can hurt you if you are at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The solution is to be mindful of your surroundings so you can stay out of danger’s way as often as possible. You only need to kick a heavy dumbbell once before you learn to watch your step while walking around the gym. It’s also safe to stay clear of people who are lifting massive weights and avoid standing behind treadmills and other equipment that may send people tumbling in your direction.
5 – Respect your limits
Pushing yourself when exercising is good, but only up to a certain point. It’s important to respect your limits while at the gym. Gym equipment can be dangerous and going too hard too fast can do a lot more than just leave you feeling sore for a few days — it can land you in a hospital. All it takes is you twisting the wrong joint, or a weight landing on your foot after you dropped it.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
