One of the most popular resolutions people set forth for the new year is to get in shape. For many, that journey begins at the gym.
Last year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that there were more than half-a-million emergency room visits due to an injury caused at the gym.
Broken toes from a dropped barbell is no way to start the new year! Other injuries occur from improper form of an exercise, misuse of equipment, or overuse of one specific muscle group.
At Texas Orthopedics, we want you to start 2019 off on the right foot. Here are the most common gym-related injuries that our board-certified orthopedic surgeons and sports injury doctors in Austin see, and how to avoid them:
Work on strengthening core muscles with core-centric exercises (such as squats performed against a wall) that will help better support the back. Also avoid bending over at the waist to lift a weight, remember to lower yourself down with your legs.
- Pulled hamstring or groin
Always warm up and stretch out the whole length of your leg before exercising—think forward lunges and leg crossovers. Use a resistance band and perform short series of outward kicks or small circles to strengthen and warm up hip, pelvic, and thigh muscles.
Never lift weights that are too heavy for you or lift them too far behind or over your head allowing the shoulder tendons to become strained and overextended.
Avoid performing too many sets of curls using heavy hand weights causing strain on the joint, one to three sets are plenty.
Many of these injuries can be treated with the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and use of an over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen. If your pain persists for more than a week, please call us at (512) 439-1000 or schedule an appointment online with one of our orthopedic surgeons to rule out anything serious.
Here’s to a very happy, healthy and safe new year!
(Adapted from Men’s Journal)
