While handling dumbbells and the like, your smart moves can make that vital difference between a toned physique and torn muscles. Here’s a head-to-foot gym injury prevention guide.
Saving your neck
Keep your head and neck in line with your spine at all times. Avoid looking sideways at a mirror when performing exercises like one-arm rows. When doing abdominal crunches, do not curve your neck so much that your chin touches your chest.
Shoulder-ing responsibility
Shoulders are particularly prone to injury because so many muscles (chest, shoulder, back and arm muscles) are connected to it. Avoid bringing dumbbells higher than shoulder level when lifting sideways. Avoid doing behind-the-neck shoulder presses and behind-the-neck lateral pull-downs. Avoid bringing your elbows very low when doing bench-presses. Take care when you spread arms for chest flyers.
Elbow-ing out pain
Hold dumbbells or barbells tightly so that you don’t drop them – but not so tight that you block the flow of blood to your arms. When doing an exercise that requires straightening
Your arm, avoid snapping, jerking, or locking the elbow joint. Always move in a controlled manner. Your chest, shoulder and upper arm muscles may be strong enough to lift a set of heavy dumbbells, but if your forearms and wrist muscles are weak, your elbow joint will absorb a large portion of the force. Make sure the strength of your forearm and wrist muscles keeps up with the rest of your upper body.
Wrists Watch
Keep wrists aligned with your forearms when lifting dumbbells and barbells.
Lower Back, Higher Changes
Explosive and uncontrolled rapid movements are lower-back killers. Sudden jerking, twisting movements can cause painful spasms to the lower back. Protect it by keeping your spine straight (meaning with a natural lower back curve) and holding your abdominal and lower back muscles tight when executing different exercises.
Lift dumbbells, barbells or other exercise equipment with your legs bent and back straight. Avoid lifting anything with your back rounded and legs straight.
Strengthening and stretching exercises for the abdominal and lower-back muscles will help prevent lower-back problems.
Don’t Go Down ‘Cause of the Knees
When doing squats or lunges, avoid having the knees go away past the toes. This position means too much compression on the kneecap. Do strengthening exercises for the quadriceps and hamstrings (muscles in the front and back of the thighs). If you have flat feet, see a doctor about arch supports. Uncorrected flat feet can cause the knees to fall inward when you do squats and lunges. Be careful when using leg extension machines.
Check that your knee joints are properly aligned with the pivot point of the machine.
Ankles can Rankle
Ankle injuries are not common when lifting weights unless you trip over a dumbbell!
Keep your head and neck in line with your spine at all times. Avoid looking sideways at a mirror when performing exercises like one-arm rows. When doing abdominal crunches, do not curve your neck so much that your chin touches your chest.
Shoulder-ing responsibility
Shoulders are particularly prone to injury because so many muscles (chest, shoulder, back and arm muscles) are connected to it. Avoid bringing dumbbells higher than shoulder level when lifting sideways. Avoid doing behind-the-neck shoulder presses and behind-the-neck lateral pull-downs. Avoid bringing your elbows very low when doing bench-presses. Take care when you spread arms for chest flyers.
Elbow-ing out pain
Hold dumbbells or barbells tightly so that you don’t drop them – but not so tight that you block the flow of blood to your arms. When doing an exercise that requires straightening
Your arm, avoid snapping, jerking, or locking the elbow joint. Always move in a controlled manner. Your chest, shoulder and upper arm muscles may be strong enough to lift a set of heavy dumbbells, but if your forearms and wrist muscles are weak, your elbow joint will absorb a large portion of the force. Make sure the strength of your forearm and wrist muscles keeps up with the rest of your upper body.
Wrists Watch
Keep wrists aligned with your forearms when lifting dumbbells and barbells.
Lower Back, Higher Changes
Explosive and uncontrolled rapid movements are lower-back killers. Sudden jerking, twisting movements can cause painful spasms to the lower back. Protect it by keeping your spine straight (meaning with a natural lower back curve) and holding your abdominal and lower back muscles tight when executing different exercises.
Lift dumbbells, barbells or other exercise equipment with your legs bent and back straight. Avoid lifting anything with your back rounded and legs straight.
Strengthening and stretching exercises for the abdominal and lower-back muscles will help prevent lower-back problems.
Don’t Go Down ‘Cause of the Knees
When doing squats or lunges, avoid having the knees go away past the toes. This position means too much compression on the kneecap. Do strengthening exercises for the quadriceps and hamstrings (muscles in the front and back of the thighs). If you have flat feet, see a doctor about arch supports. Uncorrected flat feet can cause the knees to fall inward when you do squats and lunges. Be careful when using leg extension machines.
Check that your knee joints are properly aligned with the pivot point of the machine.
Ankles can Rankle
Ankle injuries are not common when lifting weights unless you trip over a dumbbell!
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1 comment:
Good tips as most of the time we overlook these precautions while lifting weights. We can definitely prevent muscle injuries by being little cautious and aware. Can you suggest few stretches that must be performed before squats and lunges?
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