Avoid back pain in the gym: 10 common mistakes

It’s one of the world’s biggest health problems, with 80 per cent of us experiencing bouts of back pain. But did you know your workouts could be the cause? Chiropractic Doctor Christian Allard DC from ProBack talks us through the ten mistakes we’re probably making in the gym:

Lack of knowledge
People often start to train but they don’t actually know how to do it effectively and most importantly, safely. I would always recommend having an induction at the gym so that trained professionals can show you how to use the equipment.

The wrong technique
Using the incorrect technique can lead to injury and will not be as effective in terms of improving overall fitness or losing weight. I’ve noticed in the gym that a lot of people “cheat” when squatting, for example. Doing the correct form will train the targeted muscle to the optimum, and help avoid injury.

Read more: 6 plank variations for sculpted abs

The right gear
The right gym wear is essential – proper trainers can make or break your workout as they are essential in helping to absorb shock.

Failure to warm up
Warming up should be part of a training session. It prepares the joints, muscles and tendons, and reduces the risk of injuries. A few minutes cardio should be sufficient to allow the body to be ready to exercise, but I would also recommend stretching out your muscles before doing anything.

Overtraining
The most common mistake is trying to do too much too soon. People don’t always realise that their body needs time to adapt when they start any form of new training. Starting slow is essential and can help to avoid injuries.

Missing rest days
Rest is an essential part of training and becoming fitter. A good nights’ sleep or even days or weeks off training are essential to allow the tissues to heal. Take things slowly – work your rest days into your weekly training plan so you don’t feel compelled to workout when they come around.

Forgetting to stretch
Stretching is an essential part of exercising in order to maintain good flexibility. Whenever someone does not stretch properly before, after or even during exercise, they could reduce their joint’s range of motion, and set in place premature joint degeneration.

Read more: 5 brilliant reasons to exercise

Underestimating hydration
It’s important to hydrate during and after any form of training session. Failure to do so could dehydrate the tissues and slow down the healing process. We have to remember that our bodies are made up of 75 to 80 per cent water, and with any form of exercise you’re bound to lose some of that.

Ditching a good diet
Another common mistake is not eating right. Muscles are made mainly of proteins, so they need proteins to regenerate and rebuild, meaning that your diet should be rich in proteins and vegetables. Whenever people try to lose fat quickly, they often opt to eat less, but by not eating, this could create stress on the body and actually result in putting even more fat on.

Losing motivation
It’s incredible the amount of people that join a gym with a high degree of motivation and lose it all within the first week or two. Since doing exercise can be painful, tough and hard work, keeping the motivation is a must. So, reminding ourselves why we decided to exercise in the first place is essential to help keep up the good work. Exercise should be fun, so I always recommend to find an exercise that you enjoy.

Read more: 7 simple ways to make workouts fun

Summary

Article Name

Avoid back pain in the gym: 10 popular mistakes

Description

Doctor of Chiropractic Christian Allard from ProBack explains what might be wrong with our workouts that can cause the lately increasingly popular back pain.

Author

Natalia Barszcz

Publisher Name

Healthy Magazine

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