Workout Injuries Prevention and Treatment
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Causes of Workout Injuries:
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Common Workout Injuries:
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Risk Factors for Workout Injuries:
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Preventive Measures for Workout Injuries:
Workout injuries are common. These can happen to everyone anytime. The fitness level, experience or age doesn’t matter. Workout injuries may happen even when you are walking. Are you thinking to initiate a new workout? Or you are trying to advance the current training program? Whatever you do but it is important to stay in touch with your fitness trainer. You can minimize the risk of workout injuries by avoiding the overuse of an activity. For example, if you overuse the push-ups then there are chances of getting your muscles damaged. Let’s see what causes the workout injuries or overuse injuries.
Causes of Workout Injuries:
The workout injuries are any kind of joint, tendon, tissue or muscle injury such as sprain, tendinitis and a fracture in the bone. These usually happen because of stress or repetitive trauma that’s why these injuries are also called overuse injuries. These injuries typically get roots from:
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Training errors: There are chances of making several training errors when someone tries to conduct an activity with higher intensity too quickly. For example, you run too fast, push-up too fast or carry workout too quickly or too long. This type of routine can stem the strain in muscles which leads to workout injuries.
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Technique errors: Using improper techniques during a workout is a big cause of these injuries. It can make the body gesture and posture wrong. Several other injuries such as disc dislocation, bone inflammation, joint pain, and muscle tears may happen when the body posture is incorrect while lifting weights or doing some intense physical activity. Whether you are professional sportsmen, bodybuilder or laymen, there are chances of making technical errors while doing some activity.
Read More: Common Running Injuries: Prevention and Treatment
Common Workout Injuries:
People damage the joints, muscles, bones, tissues and body parts in all types of ways then they start an exercise. Training and technique errors are made by everyone and everywhere. Common injuries people face during workouts are given below.
- Muscle strain and pull.
- Shoulder injury.
- Sprained ankle.
- Shin splint.
- Knee injuries.
- Wrist dislocation and sprain.
- Tendinitis
Risk Factors for Workout Injuries:
No doubt, workout injuries may happen to anyone anytime but one could be more prone to these injuries if he has certain medical conditions. These injuries become common if you are getting older especially if you have never felt the increasing impact of getting older and never planned to change your daily routines.
It is recommended to talk to your physician whenever you plan to initiate a new activity in above-mentioned circumstances. The doctor or physical trainer may offer some suggestions to improve the workout practices while keeping you safe. For example, those who have weak muscles in the hips should check the preventive measures before starting the workouts.
Read More: Ankle Injuries: Types, Causes, and Treatments
Preventive Measures for Workout Injuries:
One can easily prevent workout injuries by taking a few simple steps. These steps will help to continue injury-free exercises at the gym. However, you should learn the general rules first. Women who are above 55 years old should talk to their physicians before initiating a physical activity. This helps to determine the level of fitness and body potential to use some exercises. This rule also applies to the men who are above 45 years or have certain medical conditions.
Maintain Your Gears And Forms:
Take modern lessons even if you are an experienced player or playing a game for a long time. Always use correct practices or techniques to avoid the workout/overuse injuries. Also, ensure that you are using proper gears such as fit shoes. Foot injuries are very common among sprinters, runners, and game players. These injuries usually happen because of the unfit shoes. Never wear a shoe which is damaged or unfit. Replace the shoes after covering a distance of 250 to 500 miles of walking or running. If you can afford this routine, then you should replace the shoes twice a year.
Pace Yourself:
Are you going to start a new training session? Don’t be a weekend warrior. Compressing the workout of two weeks into two days may cause workout injuries. This is actually because of the extra stress or pressure you put on your body to accomplish the goals of a training program. Instead, you should warm up for at least 30 minutes before taking intensive workouts. This moderate physical activity enables the athletes to make body muscles ready to face challenging utilization. If you face problems in warming up sessions, then you should talk to a fitness trainer. He or she may recommend cutting down the warm-up time in order to stabilize the muscles and joints.
Read More: How to Recover Faster after a Workout?
Gradually Augment The Physical Activity:
It is necessary to add more reps to the exercises with the passage of time. Start with 3 or 5 reps of push-ups in order to get habitual. You can add more reps once your body feels no pain or trouble with the previous routine. Always proceed gradually. A similar rule applies to weightlifting. Pick lightweights in beginning. Adding 10 % weight gradually in your workout is the best idea.
Use Modern Cross-Training Ideas:
It is recommended to bring change in your workouts. Vary your exercises. Never overuse a single type of activity putting pressure on similar muscles. Repeat the muscle movement as frequently as possible. This is a great idea to avoid the repetitive motion which is a major cause of tendinitis and shin splints. Some ideas to vary the exercises are given below.
- Walk on your Day One.
- Pick light weights on your Day Two.
- Cycle or swim on your Day Three.
Combine Cross-Training and Daily Routine:
Add multiple types of workouts or exercises in the training schedule rather than focusing on a single one. Using a variety of exercises puts an extraordinary effect on various parts of the body. In this way, the entire body makes progress. For example, you should swim, walk, jog and hike. This helps to prevent workout or overuse injuries.
Identify Trouble Spots:
Tailor the exercises for troubling areas. For example, people want to develop strength in the knees if they have knee arthritis. But it doesn’t mean that you will choose exercises causing pain in the knee. Talk with your physician and fitness training. Be sure that you are starting with light activity.
Read More: Make yourself Fit faster after a workout
Listen to Your Physical Condition:
The idea of “No pain, No gain” is dangerous as it can set you up for several types of workout injuries. It is possible to stay healthy and fit without having any type of pain. Never bring yourself to the stage where it hurts. You may get an injury if there is a pain in any part of the body because of any workout. Pain is the first symptom of workout injury. Stop the exercise immediately and take rest for the next day.
Fuel Your Body With Fresh Water And Necessary Nutrients:
Bring the coldest bottle 21 oz to enjoy fresh and cold water during the workout. This maintains hydration and ensures proper metabolism. Keep drinking water until you finish the exercise. Make a routine of drinking water before, during and after the workout sessions.
On the other hand, you need nutrients to continue exercises with power. Take small meals after 2 to 3 hours rather than taking heavy meals. This provides energy to the body according to the requirements. Take proteins and carbohydrates after finishing the exercises. This will supply more energy to stabilize the body systems.
Find A Fitness Trainer:
It is important to contact a fitness trainer before you think about workouts. People who are planning for weightlifting or bodybuilding should make a training program after consulting a trainer. Fitness trainer can help to choose the right workouts. They will also tell you how to perform different exercises in the right manner. This approach is helpful to develop a realistic and safe workout program.
Take Rest Properly:
In most cases, people feel tenderness in muscles and joints when they start exercises. This is normal as it shows progress towards the new routine. There is no need to skip your workouts if the stiffness is mild. However, you should treat the severe stiffness with proper rest.
Read More: Are you having Muscles Soreness – Don’t Avoid Exercising?
Treatments for Workout Injuries:
As mentioned above, the workout injuries are common and may happen anytime. If you have any type of workout injury, you should consider the basic and general rule of RICE method. This is a common rule which allows the athletes to treat workout injuries before these get worse.
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Rest: Take rest immediately after getting a workout injury. Stop playing, exercises or working immediately. The injury will heal itself with time.
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Icing: Applying ice to the injured area is a useful technique. Use Coldest Ice Pack to control pain, swelling, inflammation, and bleeding.
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Compression: Use bandages to compress the injured area. This is helpful to stop swelling.
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Elevate: Keep the injured area elevated. This is a great technique to minimize swelling.
Take NSAIDs:
This is only for those who have got prescription from doctors. Using these medicines can reduce Workout Injuries pain, inflammation and swell within a few days to few weeks. The recovery time always depends on the cause, type or severity of the injury.