How To Avoid Unexpected Injuries While Exercising
The unfortunate reality is that in life, we can become injured through no fault of our own. But at the same time, if we take precautions, pay attention to health and safety planning, and stick to good practice, the odds drastically reduce.
For example, if you implement rest days into your weightlifting schedule, not just as a one-off but a baked-in part of your routine, you’re providing your body time to relax and recover. This may help you prevent an injury from overtraining in the long run, which is especially prevalent among those who work out often.
Avoiding injury in exercise can seem like a pretty easy goal to begin with. Just don’t work out too hard, make sure the equipment you use is in good condition, and wear the right clothing, yes? Of course, those are excellent starting points.
But sometimes, specific considerations and precise guidance should be given. In this post, we will discuss some of the most common injuries that come from exercise, and how to think differently about your own practice with that wisdom in mind:
Warm Up Appropriately
Most people have heard the advice to warm up before exercise, and it’s hardly groundbreaking stuff. But there’s a fair amount of variance in what “appropriate” actually means for different activities. For example, a few arm circles before bench pressing just won’t cut it, even though that’s what many people default to. A proper warm-up means getting blood flowing to the right areas and preparing those specific muscles for what’s coming, which is why they say walk at pace for five or ten minutes before you run, because you’re exercising all those same muscle groups. So, if you can, try to alter your warmup routine for whatever exercise you’re doing today, as it will make a difference.
Form Above Volume Or Load
We all want to celebrate big numbers and impressive milestones as we aim to get in shape, and that’s quite understandable. Yet it’s important to remember that good form always matters more than the weight on the bar or the speed on the treadmill, or how many miles you run that day. That’s because as far as effective training and perfect movement go, this is the safest possible way and fits with your body mechanics the most closely. This might feel slow at first, but it’s much better than spending months recovering from an injury that could have been avoided. Proper form usually leads to better results anyway, even if the process takes a little longer.
Consider Your Individual Anthropometry
Our bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that matters more than most exercise guides let on. Someone with longer arms might struggle with certain bench press positions that feel natural to others and so they may need to adjust their position on the bench, but those with different leg lengths might need to adjust their squat stance too. For that reason, cookie-cutter exercise advice is still worth listening to, but for safety reasons, consider your own needs as well. Maybe you have shorter fingers and so absolutely need to use chalk even when lifting barbell at lower weights. You’ll learn this as you go, but don’t be afraid to try different things, it makes a difference. If you need specific care after a strain or recovering from an injury, sports physiotherapy can help with this.
With this advice, we hope you can avoid unexpected injuries while exercising.