Common Workout Mistakes
Many people hit the gym in the hopes they can shed some of their winter weight. But are you doing it correctly? Without proper guidance, you can make small mistakes that can end up causing major injuries in the long run.
Avoid joint injury and these common workout mistakes
If you are one of those bystanders, it is recommended you ask your trainer for help.
Also, there is no harm in educating yourself in some common mistakes gym-goers make, to avoid hurting yourself.
Keeping this in mind, here are 3 of the most common mistakes to take into consideration.
1. Skipping the Essential Warm-Up
One of the biggest mistakes is to skip the essential warm-up exercises. Professionals on numerous occasions have warned gym-goers to avoid working out cold.
The reason you need to warm up is that you need to prepare your body for what is coming. Through warm-up exercises, you can increase your heart rate, along with blood flow to the joints and muscles. If you target specific areas, you will be able to avoid injuries including muscle pulls and strains.
Do note though warming up does not have to be all that extensive, or a chore even. For instance, before beginning your run, you can start by walking briskly. In another instance, before weight training, perform the first set with half the weights you intended to workout with.
Believe it or not, these movements will ensure your muscles and joints remain lubricated, without which you will not be prepared for the workouts ahead of you.
2. Copying Others at the Gym
As mentioned earlier, there are gym-goers that are too shy to ask for help. These people will instead hang around, study others, and implement what they have learned in their own workouts. It may not seem that big of a big deal, but this is wrong on a few levels.
Enough emphasis cannot be placed on the fact you need to consult your trainer in all instances throughout your workouts. If you are in pain or feel as though you are straining yourself, talk to your trainer, to find out where you are going wrong in the first place.
A trainer will do much more than guide you. They will ensure you have a proper form. Additionally, they will choose exercises for you, based on the fitness goals you want to achieve.
3. Lacking Proper Form
Working out is just not enough to stay fit and reach your goals. Proper form is everything to be successful in your endeavor.
Most people do not pay attention to keeping their neck in spinal alignment, which is one of many other poor practices that do great harm. Failing to keep your neck in spinal alignment during exercises alone can lead to pinched nerves, or worse, spinal disc issues.
If you notice any discomfort or intense pain after exercise and cannot visit a healthcare facility, use a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine app to contact your GP immediately.
On the other hand, while lifting, people tend to have round backs rather than maintaining a neutral spine. Movement of the spine in any direction, regardless of the region, under heavy load, without proper form can compromise its integrity. This can, in turn, cause several injuries, from a simple strain or tweak to a herniated disc.
Seeing how the lack of a proper form can do such damage, one can only imagine the repercussions of doing so to the other parts of the body, especially the joints, which become weak over time.
There are many other factors that need to be considered to avoid injuring yourself while working out, they are:
- Doing too much, too soon. Focus on progressing gradually instead.
- Wear the right attire. There’s clothing for running, yoga, and whatnot. Make sure you wear the right attire at the right time.
- Do not run-heavy. People landing heavily while running normally do so because of improper technique or weak muscles. Failing to do so can cause cartilage damage in the knees, spinal issues, shin splints, and repetitive strain injuries.
- Wear the right shoes. Don’t cheap out and get the shoes you need for the workouts you plan to indulge in.
Wrap-up
As seen above, the list of common workout mistakes can go on, for which reason you will not only need to ask your trainer for assistance but do your own homework at the same time.
Since prevention is better than cure, there is no reason you should not take preventative measures to avoid hurting yourself so much, where you may not be able to lift ever again. As frightening as this is, it is a fact that cannot be denied.
- 3 Common Workout Mistakes That Lead to Joint Injury - January 28, 2021