IIf you’re prone to frequent fitness-related injuries, it could be due to simple mistakes you’re making while working out. “Sometimes you just need to evaluate what you’re doing training-wise, reset for a bit, and ignore what other people think,” says Dalton Wong, personal trainer and founder of TwentyTwo Training.
“Setting unrealistic goals because you don’t want to look out of shape is a surefire way to fatigue and pain,” he says. So is trying to impress others. A recent analysis of more than half a million injuries presented to the US Board of Surgeons highlighted that “complacency” in the weight room is a contributing factor to gym injuries. Men, in particular, are apparently “more likely to be overconfident.” “Social pressures drive people to exercise and lift weights beyond their current capabilities,” they reported in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.
Bad habits can lead to injury, but a five-year study by researchers at the University of Bath, funded by the British Medical Association, concluded that the risk of developing serious problems with most types of recreational exercise is actually surprisingly small, with running, dance classes and gym sessions being the activities with the lowest risk. Small tweaks to technique and effort can make a big difference to that risk, so we asked a few experts about the biggest mistakes people make when exercising and how to fix them.
1. Not warming up properly
This is a big pet peeve for Wong, who says warming up is the most neglected part of training. “You can either warm up too little or too much, but you need a proper warm-up to prepare for the session that follows,” he says. For aerobic exercise (running, swimming, cycling), you should warm up your muscles with about five minutes of dynamic movements like leg swings, high skips, and arm circles, and start at a moderate pace before gradually increasing your speed. “Most runners and cyclists make the mistake of running straight out of the door,” he says. “That’s an invitation for injury.”
On the other hand, some people waste valuable training time by spending too much time preparing for weight training. “You don’t need to do 15 minutes of cardio and 10 minutes of stretching before strength training,” says Wong. “Get your body moving with three to five minutes of cardio, then do two warm-up sets with lighter weights or no weights before you start your workout.”
When it comes to stretching, most people overlook a key aspect
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2. Not stretching enough
When stretching, many people overlook key areas like the feet, shoulder blades, and muscles around the groin and pelvis. “These areas are commonly not stretched enough, but they’re incredibly important for long-term joint movement and function,” says Roger Frampton, mobility coach and author of Stretch and Exercise. stretch.
“When we feel tightness in our hamstrings or lower back, we tend to focus on stretching just that area at the expense of other areas. But the muscles and joints in our body are interconnected, and stretching just the superficial area of tightness usually doesn’t solve the problem.”
Patience is key: “Your muscles, tendons and ligaments need time to adapt and improve,” he says. “Spend 10 minutes each day stretching and practicing natural movement.”
• 10 things you should and shouldn’t do when starting to run — according to the experts
3. Running, running, running too much
This is a classic mistake and a shortcut to losing motivation and injury, says sports physiotherapist and author Run without injury“Most people believe that their ability to run for 20 to 30 minutes is something they’ve maintained since their younger days, even though they haven’t run since their school days,” he says. “You might be able to do it at first, but your body tends to respond subconsciously to exercise, and you’ll feel the benefits after two days.”
Repeating the same exercise within a few days can cause stiffness and discomfort, including sore muscles and reduced motivation to go outside.
“You need to match your running to your body’s current tolerance for stress,” says Hobro, “and slowly increase the load at first with lots of walking, then progress to 15 minutes of jogging, walking, jogging, instead of running all the time. Only do this once every three days to start with.”
To this, add core and leg strength and conditioning exercises such as squats, single leg squats, push ups, rotational planks and multi-directional lunges (forward, backward and sideways).
“If you haven’t run in 12 months or more, don’t assume your body is ready for exercise,” says Hobro. “Get as strong as you can to avoid overuse injuries.”
4. Lifting too much weight
It’s easy to get carried away in the strength-training zone at the gym, but complacency is an invitation for problems. In a US study, surgeons blamed lifting too heavy for “sacrificing good technique in the pursuit of better numbers and metrics, which can be particularly dangerous for inexperienced participants.” At the very least, it can lead to more delayed-onset muscle soreness, which can put you off exercise for a few days if you’re not used to it, says George Morris, an exercise physiologist and strength training and conditioning coach at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. “But if you lift too much too often without adequate training, you risk damaging your muscles, connective tissue and bones.”
If you’re new to strength training, start by perfecting your exercise technique without weights, then progress to weights you can lift for eight to 10 repetitions. “Once that becomes easy, you can add another kilo, but don’t rush it,” says Morris. “Strength training needs to be gradual to be effective.”
• How to Start Weight Training – What You Need to Know
5. Overdoing bicep curls
Focusing on the mirror muscles of the upper body — the pectorals in the chest and the biceps and triceps in the arms — means isolating smaller muscles at the expense of larger muscle groups. Because the biceps are a relatively small muscle that only take up a small portion of your upper arm, doing a lot of bicep curls targeting them isn’t the most efficient upper-body exercise, says Morris.
“Whether you’re lifting weights for health reasons or to optimize your sports performance, you should prioritize focusing on compound movements – those that work multiple muscles and joints with each exercise. Compound movements activate more muscles, burn more energy and are effective at improving functional movement skills such as pushing, pulling and lifting.”
Upper-body compound movements include the bench press, bent-over row, and overhead press, while lower-body compound movements include squats and lunges. If you do bicep curls, add a second movement, such as an overhead press, to make it a compound movement. “Or, if you want to work on smaller muscle movements, leave them until the end of your gym session,” advises Morris.
6. Lifting your head too high above the water while swimming
Proper body alignment is essential to avoid injury in the pool, says swim coach Stephen Shaw, founder of Shaw Method Swimming Academy: “The relationship between your head, neck and back affects your performance in the water more than any other factor. For every inch of head lift, your pelvis drops two inches, making swimming feel like more hard work, as if you’re crawling through the water.”
It also puts strain on your back and shoulder muscles, causing tension over time. For both breaststroke and crawl, keep your neck free and relaxed, and your eyes down. “If your head is too low, that can also be a problem, because it makes it harder to breathe,” says Shaw. “Find a balance point where you don’t feel like you’re clenching your head or forcing it into a position.”
• 3 ways to improve your breaststroke
7. Breathing too hard while swimming
Efficient breathing is key to fluent, graceful swimming, but Shaw says that many of us inhale and exhale too much, like “breathing through Jacuzzi bubbles.” You don’t need to fill and empty your lungs 100% with each breath; it takes discipline and practice to get your breathing rhythm right; otherwise, tension will build up in your neck and upper body. “Aim to fill your lungs 80% and empty them 60% with each breath,” Shaw suggests. “And remember that underwater breathing is done through your mouth, not your nose, so keep your nose dry and your mouth relatively moist while you’re swimming.”
Practice Pilates slowly
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8. Moving too fast in Pilates
Pilates is not competitive, but Abbie McLachlan, Pilates instructor and founder of East of Eden studio in east London, says too many people try to compete with each other in classes, or start off with a class that’s too difficult for them.
“A lot of people rush through the exercises, which means they lose alignment and make technical errors like pronating or elevating their shoulders when they should be in a neutral position,” she says. “The key in Pilates is syncing your breath with your movement, so you can properly engage your core and pelvic floor and focus on precision of movement.”
If you find yourself breathing rapidly and laboredly, it’s time to slow down. “Because Pilates is a precision practice, it’s important that beginners start with a class that gives them time to get the basics right,” says McLachlan. “Slower is better for long-term progress.”
9. Sitting on the saddle while riding a bike
The saddle is not a couch, so author Phil Cavell wonders why so many people slouch while cycling. Middle-aged cyclist“Stay active in the saddle with your hips tilted slightly forward to avoid arching your back,” he suggests.
Make sure your saddle is set at the right height: when fully extended, your knees should be at a 35-40 degree angle, not locked straight down. Also, make sure the saddle isn’t pointing up: “I recommend a 0- to -2-degree angle for men and a 0- to -4-degree angle for women,” he says. This is just as important on a stationary bike: “Slouching or having poor posture on an indoor bike puts more strain on your body, especially the saddle. Because indoor riding puts more strain on your shoulders, arms and hands, I recommend limiting your indoor sessions to a maximum of 45 minutes, especially if you’re a beginner.”
10. You’re not trying hard enough
Sorry to be the bad news, but if you’re not sweating and out of breath after your workout, you probably just needed to push yourself a little harder. “There’s been too much focus on the risks of overtraining, but in reality, unless you’re a professional athlete or training for several hours every day, you’re not at risk,” says Wong. “In my experience, most people aren’t training as hard as they could most of the time.”
“Your body will always find the path of least resistance and will always tell you to stop, but in training, the magic happens when you push yourself to the next level,” says Wong. We all want to stop after eight of 10 to 12 weight training reps, or take a walk instead of a run, but instead, push yourself to the end. “What you think is hard work isn’t really hard work,” he says. “You’ll usually be able to do it in a little bit and feel like you’ve worked hard.”
