Guest Article: Effective ways of avoiding injury at the gym

Hello there everybody! I’ve got another guest article here for ya today. This one is from Nathan over at Pannone. He’s going to give us some tips to avoid head injuries while working out. Enjoy!

Going to the gym is widely acknowledged as being one of the best possible ways of staying in shape; however, that is not to say that people cannot injure themselves while being there…

Although the odds of hurting yourself while on your weekly workout may not be extremely high, it certainly pays to know what the most common injuries that can occur are – that way you stand a much better chance of not falling victim to them!
Below are some of the most likely ways a person might pick up an injury at the gym, as well as some simple tips on how to avoid such injuries:

Walk before you run

The vast majority of injuries at the gym are caused by over-exertion. Although it is admirable to want to get fit, it’s hugely important to remember that there are certain physical limitations on how much you can achieve when first starting out. With this in mind, make sure that you keep it simple to start with as far as weights and cardio. In addition to this, it’s crucial to remember that to get adequate rest between gym sessions!

At a stretch

It’s surprising to hear how many people injure themselves during the warm-up stages of their exercising sessions. The most common type of warm up injury results directly from incorrect stretching techniques; it is vital that you don’t “bounce” into a stretch. Although this may feel like it is of more benefit that a slow and steady stretch, it also places the target ligament/muscle under a great deal more strain. That may well be strain which it is not capable of handling!

Follow the rules

More and more gym injuries are occurring as a result of people not paying enough consideration to health & safety rules. It may seem as though your gym is slowly turning into a totalitarian regime, but rules are there for a reason. Making sure you don’t run in wet (and slippery!) locker rooms and on swimming pool surfaces will help to ensure you avoid a nasty fall.

Tread well

Treadmills are a great piece of workout kit; however, they can easily cause injury through misuse. Surprisingly, falling off a treadmill is not the most common injury. It is in fact shoulder injuries which take the top spot for treadmill-related injuries. These are caused by people holding on to the safety bar for dear life whilst running at full pelt. Going at such a speed may be scary, but it clearly pays to let go once in a while!