Prevention is better than cure. It is a word of caution for everyone who is a workout beginner. It is also a reminder for people who do daily workouts. Workout injuries are not uncommon. They are caused by overexertion or losing focus, unhealthy diets, and many more reasons. There are many workouts to keep bones and muscles strong. Applying simple and basic pre-workout and post-workout routines can help prevent as well as recover from injuries.
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Some common workout injuries are:
*Muscle pull and strain
*Sprained ankle
*Knee or joint injuries
*Shin splint
*Tendinitis
*Wrist sprain or dislocation
*Hamstring pull
*Back pain
*Swollen muscles
These common injuries can occur while doing simple as well as intense workouts. Some of these injuries can also happen accidentally at home when you are cleaning the ceiling fan or trying to carry a heavy piece of furniture. Any type of tension or pressure or overstretching of muscles can cause injury.
How to avoid workout injuries?
When we start any physical activity, the neurotransmitters in the brain receive a signal to regulate bodily activities accordingly. If we start immediately with intense exercise, then the brain fails to receive this signal on time and the muscles are shocked. This is the reason it is recommended that we warm up properly before starting any workout. The simplest and most basic warm-ups to do before any workout are walking, climbing stairs, marching, and jogging on the spot. You can also do some dynamic stretching that warms up the joints like shoulder joints, spine, hip joints, knees and ankle joints.
Some basic prevention tips:
Focus on the workout. Don’t workout in a stress or in a hurry.
When you are stressed, your brain is already overworked and tired. It is easy to lose focus during a workout.
“Stress causes attentional changes (e.g., narrowing of attention, general distraction, increased self-consciousness) that interfere with an athlete’s performance.”
Stress causes the muscles to get tense and suffer coordination difficulties. It can cause loss of balance and uneven breathing. Professional athletes are taught stress management techniques with physiotherapy to perform at their best.
For non-athletes who have a stressful lifestyle, it’s important to focus on balanced breathing techniques while doing warm-up. Listen to your favourite music during warmup. Try to reach the gym on time rather than immediately jumping onto the treadmill just to complete the set.
Eat healthy before workout
Just like your car needs fuel to run smoothly, likewise, eating healthy helps the body stay strong while doing workouts. Your trainer will suggest what to eat according to your physiological condition. The best time to eat is half an hour before the workout. This gives some time for the food to release its energy into the body.
Also, stay hydrated throughout the workout to provide the necessary oxygen to the body. Try not to smoke or have too much coffee before the workout. These habits not only make the body dehydrated but also decrease stamina.
Dynamic warm up before workout and static stretches after workout
There are different types of warmup to suit different body types. Ideally, start with some basic movement-based warmup instead of static stretches. When you include simple movements like swinging your arms, your brain cells come into action and readjust the body for further activity.
Keep the static stretches for post-workout. When you workout, your body is trying to adjust to the constant pull and push of the muscles. As you stop working out, the muscles provide oxygen to the body to recover from the workout. You are tired from the workout, and you may feel like sitting down immediately. Static stretches help the muscles to expand and release any tension in the muscles. This helps every cell in the body receive oxygen in a much better way.
Maintain proper form while doing workout
Each exercise should be done while maintaining proper form, which avoids sudden injury by targeting the correct muscle to workout. Your starting position before any exercise is important to manage balance and coordination throughout the exercise.
For example, take a look at this picture below. It is a simple arm stretching exercise.
In this exercise, you need to keep equal weight on both legs instead of shifting it every time you change your arms from right to left. Avoid tilting your hips on the opposite side.
Another example is the glute bride exercise.
The starting position of the glute bridge is very important. Many people have a curved spine, and while lying down, their lower back is over arched. During the glute bridge, there should be no gap between the floor and the lower back. It often happens that while doing the glute bridge, we lose the form if we are not using the core muscles to support the body. This can put undue stress on the shoulders and the spine.
Training with a coach
Whether you are exercising at home or at the gym, always listen to the coach and try not to cheat. There are many YouTube videos that will help you get started, but if you are a beginner, you will not know which exercises can be harmful to your body. Your coach will help you in various ways. From how to fit a healthy diet into your lifestyle, to understanding your body’s strengths and weaknesses, You can discuss with the coach any past injuries or weaknesses that you feel while doing the workout. Your trainer will know when you should stop and which injuries can become severe if neglected.
Wear comfortable workout clothes
There are so many fashionable brands that promote workout clothes as well. Apart from the colour and style of the clothes, make sure that you are comfortable wearing them in every way. The gym shorts and t-shirt should be made of breathable fabric. The track pants should absorb sweat but, at the same time, not stick to your skin too much. Women wearing sports bras should make sure that they are not digging too much into their ribs while at the same time supporting their upper back comfortably. You should have enough room to swing your arms completely.
Start your workout slowly and if you are including some heavy weight exercises, then wear support like wrist supporting gloves, knee pads, and proper balancing shoes.
Treatment and rest are important
Prevention of injuries should be our first priority. But sometimes it cannot be avoided. For immediate treatment of common workout injuries, follow the RICE method, which is recommended by professional doctors and coaches.
R – Take Rest and avoid any physical activity if you experience any discomfort.
I – apply Ice to the injured area to decrease swelling, bleeding, and inflammation.
C – Compression with a bandage should be applied to prevent any swelling.
E – Keep the injured area to an elevated position above the level of the heart.
Once you have rested for 6 hours, check your injured muscles and symptoms again. Consult your physician before taking any pain killer. Common injuries get healed in 3 to 4 weeks. If you are still feeling pain while doing normal activities around the house, then visit a physiotherapist or an orthopaedic.
References:
Workout Injuries: Prevention and Treatment by Hedy Marks, reviewed by Tyler Wheeler, MD on June 07, 2020.
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/workout-injuries-prevention-and-treatment
10 Most Common Gym Injuries And Its Prevention by Prashant Kumar, fitness trainer, 15 October, 2018.
https://www.gympik.com/articles/10-common-gym-injuries-prevention/
Psychological Issues Related to Injury in Athletes and the Team Physician, 10 July, 2016.
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