How to Avoid Fitness Workout Injuries

Doing fitness exercises has the purpose of keeping you healthy, giving you a toned body and lots of energy for everything you want to do in your life. However, a lot of people get injured while doing their fitness routines and some of them give up exercising as a result. One thing is clear – there is a certain risk of injury in every kind of sports or training routines you may take up. This should not discourage you from exercising, but prompt you to learn how to protect yourself and avoid these injuries.

I’ve dedicated this blog to everyone who wants to exercise and do sports in a safe manner. In each article I’ve pointed out the most frequent hazards and types of injuries you may suffer while doing various workouts, from weight training to cardio. Today I will discuss the overall risks of injuries in fitness training of all kinds. As you become aware of them, you can take measures and avoid them, without giving up exercising.

Without further introductions, these are some of the most practical and best pieces of advice for avoiding fitness workout injury:

  1. Wear Appropriate Clothing and Footwear

In my experience, the number one cause of most injuries in the gym are worn out or ill-fitting sports shoes, and large and cumbersome clothing which may get stuck or caught in various moving parts of the fitness equipment.

Once you’ve decided to go to the gym, your first drive should be to a specialised sports store. There you can find appropriate clothes to wear at the gym as well as professional advice in selecting the right kind of sports shoes. Sport shoes are extremely specialised, depending on the shape of people’s soles, their gait when walking or running, and the pronation (whether you favour the inside or the outside of your foot when stepping). Inadequate sport shoes will cause you to over-strain your muscles and tendons in various parts of your leg, or to suffer a sprain.

  1. Know Your Body

This seems pretty straightforward, but it is not. People believe that they can overcome the limitations of their bodies in a few workout sessions. They will ignore signs of dehydration and fatigue, and continue to exercise while their energy is draining out. This is the moment when some of the worst injuries will occur. You will lose control of the elliptical bike, become unable to keep up with the pace of the treadmill or lose your grip on the weights machine handle.

If, by chance, you do not get injured, you will feel muscle cramps for the next few days, skip your training schedule and make no progress with your fitness workout programme.

  1. Include Stretching in Your Warm-Up Routine

Stretching is a great way to prepare your body for the intense effort in the gym. Various stretching exercises are designed to prepare the main muscle groups in your body – the ones which will bear the brunt of your training. Through stretching, the muscles start receiving an increased blood flow, and their flexibility is tested and prepared for the more intense stretches and compression they will undergo while you train.

Doing stretches before you begin the actual fitness workout will help you discover if you suffer from muscle soreness or reduced flexibility in one of your joints, so this is a great way to prevent more serious injuries which may occur if your body does not respond properly during intense exercising.

  1. Do Not Skip the Rest Days

Rest days are devised by fitness trainers to allow your body to recover the normal levels of glycogel in your muscles, which gives you the energy and strength to exercise. This substance is paramount both for weight training and for cardio exercises, and it can be rebuilt by adequate diet, hydration and rest. If you decide to keep training every day, you will be soon running on empty, unable to complete your fitness routine and achieve any results in terms of losing weight or strength building. You will also be prone to injuries, because your muscles will no longer be strong and flexible enough to support your while running on the treadmill or lifting weights.

  1. Cross Train

Cross training means that you combine cardio with strength building and flexibility training. Variation of exercises is the key to success in getting a fit and healthy body. If you pursue only one type of exercise, then you risk injury by overtaxing a specific group of muscles and ligaments. Plus, you will quickly get bored and will feel tempted to give up fitness training.
In conclusion, the key to preventing injuries during a fitness workout is moderation in everything you do, wearing appropriate gear, and being patient with your body while you build strength and endurance.