Most people exercise at the gym to improve their health, but being aware of potential risks while working out at the gym is also crucial to health and safety. It’s very useful to learn about common gym accidents that can sideline your workouts.
So how do you prevent workout injuries? How do you use the gym to get into great shape while preventing common injuries that typically occur, especially for beginners while trying to use the gym equipment?
Here are a few tips you can arm yourself with to prevent the occurrence of any unfortunate incidents from happening at the gym:
- Learn how before Starting.
Once you set foot into the gym, do yourself a favor, learn how to use the workout machines before you start using them. Take a tour of the gym with a fitness instructor before exercising. Ask for a demonstration if you feel unsure of the equipment. Find out if the workout facility has classes on how to use the equipment. Find out if a trainer can work with you for the first couple of times so that you find out the proper methods for using the equipment and you don’t get hurt.
- Stretch before you begin.
One of the most important parts of any workout is to stretch your muscles so that they become flexible enough for the workout. Stretching helps your muscles become more elastic, so that they don’t become injured during a workout. Stretching even before going for a long or a fast walk also helps, else you could tear a muscle while working out and then miss out on your workouts for a while.
- Warm up.
Warming your body up before any physical aerobic activity can be your greatest workout tool in the prevention of injury. Gentle warmups help you ease into any vigorous exercise routine. You can do this by first running slowly, doing light calisthenics or riding a bike slowly to warm up those muscles. It is actually very important to approach any exercise routine this way if you want your body to perform optimally during exercise.
- Know when to stop.
While working out, know your limits. Sometimes when you are working out, you start to feel great and feel like you don’t want to stop. But you also have to realize that you don’t want to push yourself too hard so that you aren’t ill the next day.
- Listen to your body.
Pain is different from fatigue. If you are experiencing pain even at low weight on the machine, you may be injured. Have a doctor check everything out. If there is another exercise that can still work out the muscles you were trying to exercise, switch to the other exercise. Don’t work out through pain because you may injure yourself even more.
- Keep your water close.
While working out, remember to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water so that your body can keep sweating. This enables the body to keep cooling itself, so that you don’t overheat. Overheating causes the body to not function properly. When dehydration occurs, the body may even begin to shut down muscles and eventually major organs while attempting to save itself.
- Cool it down.
When you have completed your workout and you feel great with all those positive endorphins flowing through your body, it’s time for you to cool down. You’ll usually find athletes walking for some time after finishing a race, it’s for this reason they do that. Once you’ve given your all to an intense workout session, it’s important you let your body cool down for some minutes to avoid muscle cramps or aches or even an overall shaky feeling in your body.
Starting and sticking to a workout routine is an excellent way to improve and maintain one’s health. Most gyms offer plenty of equipment and support for all kinds of training activities. However, there are risks involved with using heavy duty weights and equipment. Following the above safety guidelines and recommendations will improve your safety and reduce the likelihood of accidents and injuries.
Remember while lifting heavy weights, you can always ask someone to spot you, so that you don’t get hurt. You can always discuss any new training plan with your health care provider in advance.
Ask lots of questions and remember to drink lots of water to prevent dehydration.
Most importantly, know when it is time to quit. And have fun while you’re at it.
With Love and gratitude as always, Xo!
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Disclaimer: Please note that I am not your doctor while I am a health coach by profession. This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice nor does it establish any kind of medical relationship between you and me. I will not be held liable for any damage resulting from or related to your use of this information.