5 Common Fitness Injuries And How To Prevent Them

5 common fitness injuries and how to prevent them
Being fit is the need of the hour, but it is equally important to carefully perform exercises on a daily basis. Fitness injuries are common, but some can lead to severe pain. It is essential to know about the common fitness injuries and how to prevent them.

Below is some information about the five most common fitness injuries and tips on how to prevent them.

Knee pain
One of the most common fitness injuries is knee pain. One can experience an imprecise discomfort around the kneecap, which can be a symptom for the patellofemoral syndrome. This condition is also known as the runner’s knee and one may hear a crunching sound when the knee moves.

Improper knee alignment or performing weighted repetitions can cause muscle imbalance leading to knee pain. Using weights that are too heavy can damage the knee and cause intense pain. It is important to understand the amount of weight that your body can bear and perform exercises and workouts accordingly.

Squats and lunges must be performed in the surveillance of a fitness instructor. Weak hips may cause the knee to track inward, which could put pressure on the tendons and lead to severe knee pain. One must always focus on exercises that strengthen the hips. Also, extra care should be taking while lighting weights. Proper alignment of the knees would help in strengthening the area around the knees.

Strain in the wrist
The wrist is a sensitive part of the arm, and one must take extra care of it while performing fitness training. Too much weight on the wrists can cause a sprain and intense pain. Tons of pushups and too many barbell curls can lead to strain on the wrists.

One can prevent wrist strain by first focusing on strengthening the smaller muscles of the wrists. Perform lighter wrist exercises like wrist rotations and wrist extensions regularly.

Rotator cuff injury
The shoulder joint is stabilized and supported by a group of four muscles known as the rotator cuff. A strain in the rotator cuff is caused because of tedious and continuous activities that require shoulder movements, and it is one of the most common fitness injuries.

Maintaining the correct posture while exercising is one of the prime factors in avoiding this type of injury. Also, strengthening exercises for the rotator cuff should be an essential part of the exercise routine.

Sprained ankle
An ankle sprain is a common fitness injury. It is not always caused while running, but any kind of single leg exercise can lead to an ankle sprain. Running on a treadmill is one of the reasons for an ankle sprain, as this may cause the ankle joint to roll too far and tear the ligaments. Moreover, running on the outdoors doesn’t keep you immune from an ankle sprain. Uneven terrain or excessive pressure on the ankles can lead to a ligament tear in the ankle.

It is advisable to perform warmup ankle exercises to stretch the ankle well. This also helps in preventing ankle sprains and strengthens the muscles. Make sure to exercise caution while getting on and off the treadmill. For outdoor runners, it is better to choose flatter running surfaces to avoid ankle twists.

Pectoral strain
Straining your chest muscle by performing too many bench presses at one time can cause pectoral strain or injury. A sudden overload to the tissue on your chest can cause pectoral strain. Most of the times, chest fly motions or bench presses cause this type of fitness injury.

One can prevent pectoral injuries by working out by lifting lighter weights in the beginning and gradually moving toward heavier weights. It is also better to avoid aggressive bench pressing movements. It is always advisable to have a weightlifting trainer who can help you with the bench press movements. If one experiences shaky hands or wrists while lifting the weights, it is a sign to lessen the weight.

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