How to Avoid an Injury
What happens when we are working out? How does an injury occur? These are great questions that are important to understand in order to avoid an injury. Let’s explore these further.
In most cases, gym-related injuries occur when there is either an immediate (too much weight at one time) or repetitive (lifting incorrectly over a period of extended time) overload to the musculotendinous unit. The good news is that both issues can usually be solved by proper warm-up and proper technique. We used to think warm-up just meant a lot of static stretching, but we now know that static stretching on its own doesn’t necessarily prevent injury and can even hinder performance. That is not to say there is no place for it, but it is best utilized for strictly increasing range-of-motion instead of preventing injury.
The best way to prevent injury while maximizing performance is to perform a dynamic warm up. This includes some combination of movements tailored to your workout that day. For instance, if you are focusing on legs that day, you may want to consider a 10–15-minute warm up using lower extremity cardio equipment as well as dynamic movements such as high knees (in multiple planes), lunges (in multiple planes), butt kicks, and squats. This will sufficiently prime your body for maximum effectiveness while simultaneously preventing injury. If one of your goals is to also increase your range of motion, you can apply static stretching at the end of your workout.
One last caveat; as I mentioned above, the best way to prevent injury is by both proper warm-up AND proper technique. Too often I see people who are injured simply because they lose their technique, usually when they get fatigued. So, especially at those last few repetitions, make sure you are maintaining proper technique! If you notice you cannot maintain it, then stop; one last bad repetition is not worth an injury.
Feel free to reach out with any questions regarding your specific medical concern, and happy exercising!
Best Regards,
Dr. James
