Staying Safe At The Gym

The most common reasons for getting injured in the gym can occur before you even get there. Spending all day lying on the couch doing nothing can’t possibly set you up properly for a useful workout. Another one is poor posture; slumping over a computer screen can cause muscle and ligament strain leading to general weakness in your musculo-skeletal structure. So take care at work to adopt the correct posture and be sure to utilise any necessary ergonomic aides which have been provided for you. Once at the gym make sure you know how to correctly use any equipment; many injuries are caused by improper technique and simply by doing too much too quickly.

Get Your Warm-Up Right

Doing some simple stretches before you start can minimise the chances of injury. If you are working with weights, stretch out your shoulders and arms to prevent stress to your upper back, shoulder and neck. Lunges are a good warm-up tool to strengthen leg and hip muscles and avoid strain on the knees. A few minutes stretching can save you an awful lot of pain and inconvenience afterwards. When you finish your workout, make sure you adopt a safe cool-down routine to bring your breathing and heart-rate back to normal and prevent cramping in the muscles.

Wear The Right Gear

You wouldn’t go to work in your pyjamas so why would you go to the gym without the correct gym clothing. First of all, wearing the right clothing can boost your confidence. There’s nothing worse than turning up in old tracksuit bottoms, stained tee-shirt and ratty trainers to find everybody else is looking hot! More importantly, wearing inappropriate clothing can compromise your safety and shorten the length of your workout. Wearing close-fitting clothing is best as loose clothing could easily become trapped or could trip you up. The best gym clothing is made from easy-care fabric which will wick away sweat and keep your body at an optimum temperature, vital to prevent over-heating and possibly fainting. For the girls, a good sports bra is a must to prevent strain on the neck and shoulders while guys benefit from an athletic support garment for protection and comfort. Your footwear is the most important thing to get right. Incorrect footwear which lacks support can lead to things like sprained ankles, plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendon injury as well as knee injuries. These can result from wearing soft-soled shoes when working out vigorously on hard flooring. A slippery sole can lead to trips and slips which could cause tears to ligaments in the ankle knee or lower back. So it’s worth paying as much as you can afford on good quality footwear. For those using weights, a good quality glove is a must to prevent wrist strain and ensure a safe grip.

Safe Techinque

Finally, the best way to stay safe in the gym is to use the equipment properly. Take advice on this from the staff and never start without warming up first. Correct technique, proper clothing and the correct use of equipment will all help towards a successful and injury-free workout.