Healthy Lifestyle Tip ~ Preventing Injuries at the Gym

A Few Tips on How to Prevent Injuries While Exercising at the Gym

1. Preventative care – Melanie McNeal of Baylor University applies a tree analogy for people who are starting to lift weights, comparing the human body to a tree. Trees need a strong trunk to grow nice, stable branches just like people need a strong core for lifting heavy weights for arms and legs. Beginners should spend two to four weeks developing a strong core, working the abdominals, glutes and back muscles, before incorporating other lifting exercises in their routine.
2. Moving up in weight – If you do about 15 repetitions in a weightlifting workout and continue repping with ease, it might be time to increase weight. If you load 50 pounds in a leg press for 15 to 20 reps and can keep going, increase it to 60 pounds. If you can only do about four reps, move it back to the 50 pounds to complete your reps, then rest and start over again. As you get strong, you will be able to move up and keep it at 60 pounds through 15 reps.
3. Injuries – If you strain a muscle at the gym, stop your workout and put ice on the injury for 15 to 20 minutes. You can ice it throughout the day if you feel sore, then apply a compression sleeve to keep it warm. Visit a physical therapist if you still feel pain after two or three days.
4. Powering through the pain – “I would never say to power through a sudden pain in a workout,” McNeal said. As you get older, arthritis and other conditions may bring discomfort in certain workouts, but as the joints get lubricated, you might feel better. If you feel pain on the first three reps, keep going until you hit the 10th rep. If the pain subsides, the joint just needed lubrication and you can keep exercising. If the pain feels the same or worse by the 10th rep, consult with a physical therapist.

Source