Workout injuries can potentially set you back days or weeks from your fitness goals. Nobody is immune to injury, but there are some things you can do to reduce the risk.
Here are the 5 most common injuries and the ways that you can avoid them:
Ankle sprain
Twisting an ankle can happen while running outdoors. Running outside on uneven terrain or up and off curbs increases the risk of ankle sprain. To avoid injury, stay on level sidewalks or at a park where the surface is flat. If you’re running on treadmills, most treadmills today have a clip you attach to your clothes that stops the machine when you fall.
Strained back
Many people have weak back muscles due to prolonged sitting at work or home. When they exercise, they go too hard or too fast, and this can lead to injury. To prevent this injury, lift with your legs, not your back, and gradually strengthen your back muscles with low intensity exercises.
Patellofemoral syndrome
Patellofemoral syndrome is generally a pain which happens under a kneecap area. It may get worse with frequent running, jogging or walking down stairs. This injury occurs when all the bones under the knee cap are not aligned one after the other which causes stress on the bone. Immediate care should be taken as this problem can lead to tearing of cartilage and muscles under the knee, thus leading to pain.
You can also try plyometric exercises to strengthen your knee muscles.
Pectoral injury
Pectoral injury occurs when you imbalance while lifting dumbbell or barbell while performing the workout. You can generally feel pain in the upper arm and you might feel a sensation of tearing muscles. To avoid this injury, make sure that you control the weight to be lifted and avoid creating too much tension on the hands.
Biceps tendinitis
Pain in front of the shoulders and upper-arm weakness may be a sign of tendinitis, an overuse injury that typically occurs from exercises like weightlifting, swimming, tennis and golf. This injury refers to the inflammation of a tendon that attaches your upper biceps muscle to the bones of the shoulder. To avoid the problem, make sure to take rest between the workouts and avoid doing exercise which causes pain in the upper arm.
