A Guide on How to Avoid Injuries in the Gym

Whether you are just starting to workout, or are already working out for a few years, it's important to avoid injuries so you can reach your goals as quickly as possible.

Nobody likes to have injuries.

Injuries prevent you from practicing the sports you like.

They take away time you could use to improve.

And when you come back, it takes some time to get back to where you were before you got injured.

It's crucial to stay healthy and free from injury to make the best progress and keep your motivation high.

Therefore, we have created this article with 7 factors that you must take into account to avoid injury.

1. Correct form in exercises

One of the most important factors on this list. The vast majority of gym injuries are due to poorly performed exercises. This is because of the so-called "ego lifting", which means that you want to lift more weight than you can actually lift. Whether it is to impress your friends or anyone else in the gym, this is extremely dangerous.

It's the fastest way to get injured.

Always start by learning how to perform the exercise before you want to increase weight.

2. Food and hydration

Not only is your diet crucial to changing your physical appearance, but also your performance in the gym. If you have a poor diet, not only will you have worse workouts but you will also be more prone to injury.

Hydration is important because when you train, you lose water (mainly through sweat), which causes you to become dehydrated. When your joints are dehydrated, they become more prone to injury.

Do not forget the water bottle at home.

3. Dynamic warmups

The worst things you can do is to start working out without any kind of warm-up. Your muscles are not prepared for high-intensity workouts without a proper warm-up.

For this, the best warm-ups are dynamic because they increase the blood circulation in the muscles and activate your nervous system. This is a good way to prepare you to train.

After your dynamic warm-ups, be sure to warm up progressively with weight. So if you are going to squat with 80 kg (for example), start only with the bar, and go on until you reach 80 kg. 

4. Rest

As important as working out is, remember that your muscles also need rest. Having at least 1 rest day per week is essential. In addition to rest days, try to sleep a minimum of 7-8h per day.

5. Use foam roller

Foam rollers are self-massage tools. They are excellent for releasing muscle tension and reducing muscle pain. Regular massaging of your muscles is a good way to recover from your workouts and a good way to prevent injuries. And, if you are injured, they help you recover.

6. Work on your mobility

Working on your mobility, whether through dynamic or static stretching, is another excellent way to prevent injury. In addition to helping prevent injuries, they make it easier to perform exercises and learn new ones.

7. Know when to stop

Eventually, you will have an injury. If you practice any type of sport, injuries are inevitable. Don't try to ignore the pain and continue working out. Continuing to workout with a small injury can aggravate it, which prolongs your recovery time. Try to resolve the situation as quickly as possible with a professional.

Hopefully, this article has helped you out and, you can come up with some ideas to implement.

Good workouts.