Having a regular fitness regime is quite an achievement, a goal that most people look forward to. Whether you aim to build lean muscle, maintain a healthy weight, or keep fit for health reasons, being able to work out consistently is not a small feat. The fitness journey is not always a smooth, straight curve.
Common Workout Injuries
There are many pitfalls along the way, like hitting fitness plateaus and incurring injuries. While you can quickly reverse a fitness plateau by stepping up your fitness program, injuries are a different story altogether.
Depending on the severity, an injury can wane your motivation and cause you to rethink your goals. In extreme cases, you may be forced to take an indefinite leave from your workouts, while other injuries will require a slight adjustment to your fitness program.
This article discusses common workout injuries and their causes.
1. Anterior pelvic tilt
An anterior pelvic tilt can be caused by several factors, including sitting down for too long and failing to keep the proper form during exercise. For instance, imbalanced strength training and doing squats improperly can tilt the pelvis.
Symptoms of anterior pelvic tilt include pain in the lower and upper back, legs and buttocks. Check out more info about an anterior pelvic tilt here.
2. Joint injury
Joint injuries can be triggered by several factors like failing to warm-up before extreme workouts, not keeping the proper form, or over-training. No matter how fit you are, doing warm-ups and cool-downs are essential in every workout.
They help pace the body for intense activity and also allow body functions such as your blood pressure and heart rate to return to their usual level.
In the same way, failing to maintain the proper form results in misalignment of the body, straining muscles and joints.
Joint injury can be painful and, in most cases, it results in inflammation of the surrounding tendons. This can lead to swelling around the joints and affect your mobility.
3. Low back injury
Lower back injuries are another common injury that can be triggered by several workout mistakes like lifting weights that are too heavy, improper posture during strength-training, straining the feet while running, or wearing unsuitable workout shoes.
Common symptoms of low back injury include severe pain on the back muscles, interrupted bladder and bowel functions.
4. Knee injury
Heavy weight-lifting, intense cardiovascular exercises, and falls are common causes of knee injury among athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The resulting discomfort can sometimes get you off your feet and hinder your workout goals.
When lifting weights, running, or doing cardio, ensure you’re listening to your body to pick out any strains and allow it to guide you into the right intensity for every workout.
5. Shin splints
Shin splints result from straining of the shin area muscles. This can be caused by strenuous running, or uncomfortable shoes. Whether you’re experiencing mild discomfort or throbbing pain, shin splints can be a damper.
To avoid this, ensure you always put on comfortable shoes whenever you intend to engage in heavy foot-pounding activities, like running, walking, or playing ball.
6. Hip injury
Striking improper posture during strength-training, wearing uncomfortable shoes on the track, and lifting heavy weights, can lead to a hip injury.
However, you can safeguard your hip muscles and joints by applying the right amount of intensity to your workouts, as well as using the right equipment and comfortable gear.
7. Shoulder injury
Continuous lifting of weights puts stress on the shoulder muscles and overdoing it can cause the tendons and muscles to tear off, resulting in inflammation of the region.
Failing to maintain the correct form while lifting weights can also exert undue strain on the shoulder leading to injury. Extreme stress or a sudden thrust of the arm, like in the case of sporting athletes, can even cause dislocation.
To prevent shoulder injuries, always ensure you’re keeping the proper posture during a workout. You also need to increase the intensity of your workout gradually to allow the muscles to grow into the demands of the exercise.
If you start experiencing pain during the workout, you should stop immediately and take time off to allow the tissues to heal.
8. Wrist injury
Wrists are highly mobile during most workouts. Exerting too much pressure on the wrist, like when doing push-ups, can cause injury and lead to inflammation of the tissues.
Likewise, other injuries like shoulder irritation may lead to overuse of the wrists as the load-bearing is transferred to the hand and forearms. To avert wrist injuries, always ensure you pause a workout if you feel a burning sensation.
Wrap-Up
Common workout injuries are part of any workout regime, but you can avoid them altogether by observing some basic fitness guidelines.
Learning the proper form for each workout, avoiding over-training, using the right gear and equipment are effective ways to minimize the risk of injury.
