With fall right around the corner, it’s almost time for back to school. After a summer of fun and vacation time, it’s time to get everyone ready for the regular routines and schedules. Maybe you slacked a little on your workouts during the fun summer months and intend to start hitting the gym again regularly. That’s great! But make sure to take it slow at first and be cautious.
After a period of rest, your muscles need some time to readjust before starting any kind of intensive workout. You risk injuries should you push yourself too much and too fast.
There are sports and workout injuries that we at Pinnacle Fitness see on a regular basis because of workouts gone wrong or sometimes pure and simple bad luck.
Common Injuries
Here are a few of the most common injuries resulting from strenuous workouts, or accidents.
Muscle Pulls and Strains
Muscle pulls and strains are one of the most common workout injuries. Muscles get injured when they get pulled too far and are over-exerted. This is a very common sports injury that can get you out of the game for several weeks, even months depending on the extent of the pull or strain.
Should you experience muscle pull or strain make sure to rest the affected area and get back into your workouts slowly, staying aware of the pain in your muscle so not to push it too far at first.
One of the common workout muscle pulls is a groin pull. When you overstress the inner thigh muscle, you can experience a groin pull. Ice and pain medication can help manage the injury. Make sure that you rest the muscle completely before getting back into exercises that involve the inner thigh.
Joint Injuries
Joint injuries happen when they are strained, sprained, or even impacted. When the ligaments connecting your bones at the joint are injured, you may be put out of commission for a while. Some common joint injuries that can happen during a workout are sprained ankles and tennis elbows.
Most of these injuries heal by themselves with proper care and rest time. If the injury swells or the pain does not subside with over-the-counter pain medication, it is probably wise to seek medical attention.
To minimize the chances of injuring yourself during a workout, it’s important to not overstress muscles that have been resting. If you have been inactive for a while, take the time to build up a comfortable workout that you will benefit from over time. Remember to wear the appropriate gear for whatever activity you are doing and make sure that you are exercising in the proper techniques.
No matter what you do, always make sure to listen to your body. The “no pain, no gain” saying is not always a good idea.
Working with a trainer will definitely help you reduce the chances of injuries. Their expertise will guide you into a suitable routine for you.
Come into Pinnacle Fitness to speak with one of our professionals who will help you get back in the game, slowly but surely.