One of the most common mistakes that people make when they start going to the gym or just exercising in general is to rush things. We know that everyone wants to get fit real quick and reach their goal in having the perfect body but rushing things result in injuries and these injuries, when serious, could leave a very bad mark on your health.

So, whether you have just started going to the gym or have been working out for a long time you must be able to identify some of the common injuries that could happen and what you need to do in order to avoid them. We have made a list of these injuries and also how you can save yourself from becoming a victim.

Read on to find out more.

 Sprained Ankle

Twisting an ankle isn’t only common during exercising, it can happen to anyone and anywhere, not just in the gym. An ankle sprain is caused when the foot turns inwards and the joint rolls further than its limit. The unexpected pull can cause ligaments to tear and cause you immense pain. A lot of times, losing concentration while running on a treadmill can cause you to twist your ankle as you step wrongly. This can also happen during a jog, especially if the ground is uneven.

Prevention Tip: The best thing will be to strengthen your lower leg muscles and also do some ankle exercises that increase its flexibility. You must also be careful when getting on and off the treadmill and focus while running.  If your treadmill comes with a safety clip then attach it to prevent injuries in case you trip or fall.

Lower Back Strain

If you feel any pain in your lower back then it is probably because you have pushed beyond your limits while performing exercises at affect your spine area. Strained muscles around the spine will not only cause you pain but also put you at risk of having nerve compression or disk injuries. It is very important to know the correct form when doing exercises like dead-lifts with too much weight or squats in the wrong form.

Prevention Tip: You can avoid back pain by correcting your form, especially when you are adding weights to an exercise. Consult your trainer before you increase the load and also take your doctor’s advice before working out about which exercises to avoid if you have back problems in general.

Knee Pain

The knee is nothing but a complex joint that consists of bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and menisci. When you put too much stress to any of these parts then you might feel some pain. On a more serious side, you may be at risk of developing what we call a runner’s knee where you feel a lot of pain and discomfort in the soft tissues and bone surrounding your kneecap.

Prevention Tip: You will want to keep the pressure off your knees by building stronger hips and quadriceps. When your hips are strengthened, you will be able to align your knees properly and prevent them from tracking inwards during squats or running.

Shin Splints

Pain along the front of your lower leg, running from just below the knee to the ankle maybe caused due to a shin splint. This gets worse as you keep pounding on the affected area, which is the shin bone. Excess pressure on the muscles may cause them to bulge up and press against the bone-leading to swelling and unbearable pain.

Prevention Tip: Always wear shoes that fit well for a better support during running and other exercises. Make sure you warm up and stretch your muscles prior to any workouts.

Wrist Strain/Wrist Sprain

Almost like an ankle sprain, wrist injuries are caused by unstable movements and overloaded pressure. When the damage is done to the ligaments in the wrist you will suffer from what is known as a wrist sprain, while a strain is when the tendons are affected. These could be due to not carrying weights in the correct manner or positioning your hands wrongly during exercise. You are also prone to injure your wrists if you lose balance and fall, while your wrists take the hit first.

Prevention Tip: Practice doing some wrists rotation exercises and extensions to strengthen the muscles around the joint. Also keep the weight lifting to only as much as you can bear.

Rotator Cuff Injury

Rotator Cuff consists of all the muscles, tendons and joints that are located on your shoulder. They are there for balance and stability of the shoulders while connecting the upper arm bones to the shoulder’s low socket. Overstretching and pulling of the tendons in that area can cause them to tear and trigger a pain which may get worse over time.

Prevention Tip: Concentrate on doing upper body exercises that strengthen the rotator cuff and also try to maintain good posture at all times. If you had weights to your upper body workouts then select the right amount of weights to avoid excess pressure or force.

Elbow Pain

If you do bicep curls or any exercises that demand your wrists to flex too much then you may be at risk of developing elbow pains. Aching elbows are common among tennis players but even those who like to lift heavy weights in the gym are prone to this kind of problem.

Prevention Tip: Use the right amount of weight and the correct technique when lifting so that you don’t feel any strain on the elbows or wrists. Your elbow is connected to the wrists so avoid putting any stress on them while lifting.

Groin Pulls

Pulling a muscle around the groin area becomes more common as you start to age and the muscles and tissues start to get stiffer. You can easily pull a muscle during squats, sprints, and lunges and waiting for the muscles to relax back and the pain to go away can take up the whole day or even longer if you are unlucky.

Prevention Tip: You must always warm up to relax your muscles before doing squats, lunges or any workout forms that may place pressure on the muscles on your groin area. Never jump to the exercises without first spending some time cycling, jogging or doing some sort of warming up.

Conclusion

We believe in the saying that prevention is better than cure so it is wise to spot out the injuries that may take place while you are striving to get fit and try to avoid them before they ruin your work out sessions. Remember to warm up as soon as you reach the gym or you can even do a bit of warming up before you get there by running or cycling prior to the main activities. Another thing to keep in mind is to learn all the correct forms and techniques so you do not cause any strains or stress on your joints, muscles and bones.