WHY DO GYM INJURIES HAPPEN?

Exercise, in any form, is an important part of life. As gyms have slowly become the face of an active lifestyle, there has been an increase in the number of gym-goers.

While gymming is a great way to keep oneself in good shape and has a lot of advantages in terms of cost, convenience, and coaching, it is also not infrequent to have heard of gym injuries. Just like any other sport, injuries are a part of gymming. 

While it can be a hard recovery, common gym injuries can be easily prevented by taking care of a few things in our day-to-day life. Hence the saying, ‘Prevention is better than cure’ holds true. 

Reasons For A Gym Injury

1. Incorrect Posture
   1. Warm-up
   2. Improper form
   3. Stretching
2. Non- Complimentary Diet
   1. Pre-Workout Snacks
   2. Ample Protein Intake
   3. Post-Workout Nutrition
3. Recovery Period
   1. Warm-up and Cool-down
   2. Rest Days
   3. Sleep

1. Incorrect Posture

Incorrect posture while handling weight training equipment is the number 1 cause of gym injuries in gym-goers. Posture is critical in preventing injuries during exercise and daily activities.

Poor posture can cause asymmetries in the body, increasing the risk of gym injuries. It can also cause long-term or permanent damage to different parts of the body.

That is why, it is important to maintain a good posture while working put. If you are a novice in the gym, it is advised to take help from a trainer or opt for personal training to ensure that you workout properly.

Here are a few suggestions for keeping an appropriate gym posture:

• Warm-up: Always ensure that you warm up before starting any exercise or workout session to avoid any gym injuries. Warming up helps increase blood flow to the muscles and prepares your body for the physical activity that is about to come.

• Improper form: Whether you’re working on picking up those heavy weights, doing a heavy bodyweight exercise routine, or using machinery, it’s essential to maintain proper body form. More often than not, improper techniques and regimes can strain your muscles and lead to gym injuries.

• Lack of Stretching: Try to include strong stretching exercises into your fitness & workout routine to improve flexibility and help with your posture. Focus on stretching areas that tend to get tight, like the chest, hips & glutes, and hamstrings. These areas are more likely to suffer gym injuries, so stretching them before exercising is a good call.

2. Non- Complimentary Diet

The journey to a fit and healthy lifestyle begins at home. If you are not eating well, you cannot exercise well either. A healthy, balanced diet is the key to achieving mental and physical well-being. So, here are some dietary suggestions for you to follow in order to avoid any workout injuries.

• Pre-Workout Snacks: Eating a small, balanced snack that does not fill you up before a workout can provide you with the energy needed for a successful exercise session and help prevent gym injuries. Remember, if you don’t eat well, you can not workout well.

Some great examples of pre-workout snacks include bananas, granola bars, dried fruits, trail mix, or a peanut butter banana smoothie.

• Ample Protein Intake: Protein is extremely crucial for tissue restoration and muscle strengthening. Incorporating adequate protein in your diet can aid in the recovery of muscles after workouts, reducing the risk of workout injuries. Some great vegetarian sources of protein include chickpeas, soy protein, nuts, quinoa, tofu, beans, and lentils. On the other hand, some non-vegetarian sources of proteins consist of chicken, fish, beef, milk products, eggs, cod fillet, prawns, and shrimp.

• Post-Workout Nutrition: Post-exercising, consuming a combination of protein and carbohydrates can aid in muscle recovery and replenish energy stores. This has the capacity to reduce the risk of workout injuries during subsequent workout session manifold.

3. Poor Recovery

After an intense workout, recovery plays an important role in allowing your body for rebuilding and repairing muscle tissue, reinstate reserves of energy, and decrease your likelihood of any workout injuries.

While the actual recovery period depends on the level of difficulty and length of your workout, as well as your individual traits, there are some general recommendations you can follow for an efficient recovery workout regimen. Here’s an extensive overview:

• Warm-up and Cool-down: Make sure that you always start your gym session with a proper warm-up to get that blood flowing to all the parts of your body, loosen stiff muscles, and prepare your body for the exercise that is about to come. We have talked about the importance of warm-up to avoid gym injury in the first paragraph extensively.

Now, let’s talk about cool-down. Post an intense workout routine, your body needs to gradually come down from the high of exercise that it is on. You can cool down your body and prevent any workout injuries by incorporating simple stretching exercises into your gymming routine or by simply slowing down the intensity of your workout. 

• Rest Days: Schedule resting days into your weekly gymming routine. Rest is essential for allowing your muscles and joints to recover and rebuild after intense workouts. Working too soon after an intense workout or working out frequently can also cause muscle damage or lead to common gym injuries. Working out 3-5 days a week is optimum for your body to retain and build on its progress without compromising its safety.

• Sleep: Prioritize getting an adequate amount of sleep each night as it plays an important role in muscle recovery and overall health. If you regularly exercise or go to the gym, your body requires at least 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep in order to recover from the muscle wear and tear. It also helps the muscles to grow and prevents any potential common gym injuries.

Weighing In On The Gym Injuries

To sum up the learnings of the topic, common gym injuries majorly happen due to 3 reasons – incorrect posture, inadequate diet, and insufficient recovery period between two gym sessions.

To overcome these challenges and save yourself from potential gym injury, it is highly suggested to focus on your warm-up and cool-down routine, stretch before and after exercise, maintain proper form, intake enough protein, focus on pre-workout and post-workout nutrition, appreciate and take regular rest days, do not overwork your body, and prioritize sleeping 7-8 hours every night. Remember, building your dream body is a gradual process.

It is not only about what you do inside the gym but also outside. Therefore, take care of your body and prevent yourself from getting any fitness injury by following above mentioned simple tips.