If you are someone who is really into working out, sitting back from your grind for a month or two due to an injury may be the last thing you’ll ever want to happen to you. 

Injuries are somehow inevitable. Whether it is caused by improper execution of workouts, overexercising or an unlucky outside accident, there are things we need to limit in order to fully recover and be fully capable of the things we ought to do. 

Common injuries caused by improper workout

The list could go endless if we talk about injuries. As mentioned above, people hurt themselves in many ways such as improper execution of exercises, overdoing routines and accidents. In this article, we have enlisted some common injuries experienced by people while working out due to improper positioning or routine.

This includes:

• Muscle Pull and Strain – This usually occurs when the muscle is overly stretched or torn, a common cause is not warming up properly or overexertion of force when doing physical activity.
• Sprained Ankles – This injury is when the ligaments of your ankles tear or get stretched too much, it is a common injury in sports and working out.
• Shoulder Injuries – There are 3 types of shoulder injuries when working out improperly, one common injury is the “rotator cuff injury” this happens as a result of repetitive movements like overhead lifting. The other one is “weightlifter shoulder” caused by inflammation of a joint and lastly “dislocated shoulder”.
• Knee Injuries – These injuries need medical attention. In some cases, ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament) connects the thigh bone to the shin bone, needs surgery procedures to keep the knee stable and won’t give out when moving. Other ligaments in the knees that are prone to injury are Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), Lateral collateral ligament (LCL), Medial collateral ligament (MCL),
• Shin Splints – A common injury for runners, dancers, and gymnasts, happens often from overuse, repetitive or an increase in training within the lower legs.
• Tendinitis – Tendinitis happens after a repetitive injury to an area in the ligaments of the wrist or ankle. Common forms of this injury are named after sports that may increase their risk of occurrence, which include tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, pitcher’s shoulder, swimmer’s shoulder, and jumper’s knee.
• Wrist Injuries and Disorders – Common types of wrist injuries and disorders are; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Ganglion Cyst, Gout, Fractures, Osteoarthritis, Sprains, and Strains. These injuries and disorders are caused by excessive motion or rotation in the wrist.

Preventing common injuries by doing the right workout routines

Following and doing the proper workout routine is the best way to prevent these injuries from happening. Before starting an exercise program, be sure to consult with your health care professional and inform your professionally trained fitness instructor about your health condition to ensure that you are provided with the right program fitted for your needs. 

Here are the guidelines to prevent injuries during the workout:

Warm-up and Cool-down. A warm-up helps your body get ready for the workout program it slowly increases your heart rate and loosens your muscles and joints. Cool down after a workout will slowly bring your heart rate back to normal. 

Stretching. This increases your flexibility, loosen some joints to prevent rotational movement caused injuries.

Start Slow. Start by doing low impact workout program and then gradually increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of your program.

Follow a program schedule. Don’t repeat a workout routine on a part of your body, this may cause over excessive and repetitive muscle movements that would lead to muscle strains.

Hydrate. Dehydration is the most common cause of muscle strains, remember to drink water before, during and after the workout to replenish lost fluid to your body.

Proper Gear and Equipment. Invest in proper gear and equipment for your workout. 

Take a rest. Take a day off, muscles take time to heal around 1 to 2 days. Resting can give a chance to your body to recover from stress.

On the side note, until you are fully recovered don’t do the activity that triggered the injury or discontinue that workout on that specific part of the body.

Take Away Tips

Injuries can make major setbacks when working out but that is not a problem, there are exercises that can keep you going while you’re recovering.

Doing low-impact exercises such as; walking, swimming, cycling, and jogging will help you keep up your fitness level while you’re in the state of recovery. However, what you can do depends on where and how badly you are injured. Low-impact exercise can keep you going without beating up your body.

Until you are fully healed, start back from the beginning and gradually increase the intensity of routine. This time, be mindful of the proper workout routine to avoid further injuries. It may take 2 or 3 weeks for your body to fully recover. If you push too hard and too fast you may injure yourself again. 

As tempting as it may be, patience is the best recovery method you can do and let your body fully heal before pushing yourself further.