Anyone who has ever spent a significant amount of time in the gym will know that the risk of incurring an injury is always present. Unfortunately, far too many people underestimate this risk and aren’t taking the right precautions to prevent an injury.
The fact of the matter is that an injury can all too easily see you side-lined and prevented from getting back to the gym any time soon. Although not all injuries are avoidable and accidents can happen, taking precautionary measures against injuries is a great way to ensure that you will be able to maintain your ability to work out.
There are many points to consider when your goal is to mitigate the risk of sustaining an injury while working out. However, by covering as many bases as possible and being proactive about injury prevention, you can lead a healthier lifestyle and get even more out of your routine workouts.
With that in mind, here are three important tips to remember that will help to prevent injury during your next workout.
1. Listen to Your Body
The first and most important thing to remember when you are looking to avoid injuring yourself at the gym is listening to your body. There is a big difference between the typical aches and pains associated with working out and the sort of pains that are indicative of an injury.
If, at any point during your workout, something doesn’t feel right, take a few minutes to consider why. Have you neglected to warm up properly, resulting in tight or cold muscles that aren’t prepared for work? Have you forgotten to use the right gear, such as wrist compression support from Bearhug? It might also be the case that you need to hold off on working out a certain part of your body in order to avoid injury.
2. Warm Up Properly
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to how they approach their workouts is the warm-up. Your risk of incurring an injury goes up exponentially when you neglect to warm up properly.
You should perform a series of stretches and dynamic warm up moves in order to ensure that your body is prepped and ready for the work ahead. There might also be some specific warm-up moves that you should perform based on the type of workout you are going to be engaging in.
3. Focus on Recovery
Once your workout is complete, you should start your recovery process right away. This will help to rebuild your muscles and protect your joints for the next workout.
Consider a post-workout meal and make sure that you are rehydrating your body accordingly. You should also take the time to stretch out and cool down immediately after your session. If there are any points of tension or pain, give these areas extra attention and make sure that they aren’t the start of a new injury, as that will prolong your time away from the gym.
