A guide to avoiding injury in the gym

Hitting the gym is one of the most rewarding pastimes you can engage in. If you want to get in shape – whether to lose weight or gain muscle – there are few better ways of achieving it than by getting into a gym routine.

This is because the gym offers you so much flexibility. Thanks to the multitude of different weights, machines, and training areas, you can create your own bespoke routine that allows you to create the exact body you want. 

If you want to combine weightlifting with cardio, then you can, and if you want to focus just on bodybuilding, that’s fine too. What’s more, the gym offers a place where you can repeatedly come back to and associate with exercise – unlike home workouts which can be distracting and hard to motivate yourself for.

However, it is worth pointing out that, like any physical endeavor, the gym can be a dangerous place if you aren’t careful. Picking up an injury is easy if you don’t have the correct form and you aren’t vigilant about the potential risks. To help, here is a guide to avoiding an injury in the gym.

Understand the risks

The first and most crucial step to avoiding an injury in the gym is to have a full understanding of the potential risks that can befall you. Ignorance is certainly not bliss when it comes to exercise, and you need to be aware of what could go wrong, so you can do your best to avoid it.

At a basic level, this means not putting your toes in reach of a weight when you are lifting and dropping it because it could crush them. At a more advanced level, this means not lifting a weight that is far too heavy in the vain hope that you will somehow lift it. Avoid overstretching your limits and build up to heavier weights slowly. 

What’s more, it is important to understand the potential injuries associated with lifting weights, such as slipped discs. If you want to find out more about these types of injuries, visit bioxcellerator.com.

Ask a PT to teach you the correct form

It can be tempting to start working out in the gym as soon as you have found a routine you like, but this would be a mistake. While beginners can get away with a poor form at first (because the weights are so light), you will quickly develop injuries if you do not start lifting with the correct technique. If you are unsure about what the correct form is, research your chosen exercises on YouTube or enlist the help of a personal trainer who can teach you the technique one on one.

Always have a spotter when lifting heavy weights

To follow on from the previous point, having assistance when you lift heavy is vitally important if you want to avoid serious injury in the gym. While you should be fine to lift by yourself if you are only gradually increasing the weight over time, those looking for more immediate improvements should ask for assistance with spotting.

Spotting is when someone helps you prepare for a heavy lift and is there to help you lift it back onto the rack if it proves too heavy. By doing this, you will stop yourself from being crushed under the weight or pulling a muscle.