Are you doing more harm to your body than good when you work out? Do you feel aches and pains outside the normal muscle ache some people experience after strenuous workouts? Or did you feel a twinge in a muscle or joint that has caused you pain since the incident? We’re advised to move our bodies and stay active, but some people meet the workout woes with full force – feeling aches and pains they didn’t before. Weightlifting, in particular, can cause injuries that make you question whether you should have worked out in the first place. But is it the workout, or is it you? Let’s explore.
Too Much Of A Good Thing Makes It Bad
There’s a saying that too much of a good thing makes it bad; that rings true for exercise and intense workouts. Even elite athletes know when it’s time to rest, yet some people perform strenuous exercise daily and wonder why they’re feeling aches and pains rather than reaping the rewards of exercise. Too much exercise can lead to trouble sleeping, feeling overtired, and repetitive strain injuries – something the MyEvolveChiropractor clinics see frequently.
Workouts should be balanced and varied – whether it’s lifting weights, cardio, or stretch-related like yoga. Varying workouts allows muscles and joints to recover effectively.
One of the most common forms of exercise that causes harm to the body is weightlifting and the recovery process of workouts.
Common Weightlifting Mistakes
Weightlifting is a trend. More people are joining the gym to lift weights, tone their figure, or build muscles – many of whom are making the common weightlifting mistakes that cause injury. The most common is poor form and a lack of understanding of technique. Completing a deadlift in the wrong position and weight can cause bulging lower back discs, for example. Or, a bicep curl with a weight that’s too heavy can tear the bicep. It’s always advisable to research and understand the technique before diving into weightlifting – perhaps with a session or two with a personal trainer first that can explain the correct technique for exercises.
Another common cause, yet one that’s so easy to prevent, is neglecting warmups. Muscles must have sufficient blood flow before the strenuous lifting commences to prevent strain-related injury, pulled muscles, and damaged joints.
Common Recovery Mistakes
Whether you’ve just run 10k or spent an hour in the gym lifting weights, focusing on rest and recovery is essential. Linking to having too much of a good thing, working out frequently without cooling down and stretching the muscles can lead to strain injuries. It’s imperative to remember that recovery is holistic – the body needs rest, hydration, and nutrition to recover and perform optimally in the future. Neglecting the recovery process is one of the most common mistakes anyone makes with exercise.
There’s no denying that workout out is good for us. It nurtures our bodies and minds, cultivates healthy lifestyles, and makes us feel good within. Focusing on performing correctly and recovering properly can prevent some of the most common injuries.
