Sunday, January 25, 2015

How to Prevent Work-Out Injuries

While I was on fitness hiatus following my bunion surgery, my gym added Les Mill’s high impact body attack to the lineup.  My gym buddies raved about this class; some began taking it several times a week claiming it was the best workout our gym offered. Unfortunately, seven months later when I was finally able to return to impact classes my buddies were no longer in attendance.  They now refer to this class as cheerleading on steroids and attribute it to their newly acquired knee, hip, feet and back pain.

 

 

The last thing I wanted to do was injure myself.  I have experienced four exercise related injuries in the past, each one taking months to heal, but I had to try this class at least once.
I let the instructor know prior to class I was a newbie, so she provided modifications throughout the class.  I chose the lower impact movement for almost every exercise and still found it to be one of the most intense workouts I’ve ever had. At one point, I thought if I’m not careful I’m going to puke or pee my pants. Oddly I did like this class and wanted to take it again.

Afterwards I told the instructor about my friends who claim body attack was hard on their joints and that I feared injury.  

Her recommendation:
She believes I will remain injury free if I continue to modify the exercises until my core is stronger. Working out with a weak core causes some exercisers to not align their body properly causing awkward, jarring movements that put extra strain on muscles, ligaments and tendons. This is most likely what happened to my friends.

A few weeks later this same instructor pulled me aside after class and told me I was the one she was speaking to when she kept saying straighten your back and tighten your stomach muscles during the plank exercise. My stomach had been sagging causing me to arch my lower back. This she claims is what leads to lower back pain. She then demonstrated a plank beginning on her knees sucking in her belly button and contracting her glutes.


By Jaykayfit (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
On this particular day I had been extremely tired, but forced myself to attend class anyway.  My body was too tired to keep my stomach engaged causing improper form.  Honestly, even when I’m not tired I rarely perform a plank with proper form.  I’m always in a rush; drinking water, arranging my towel and mat – then scrambling to get in the plank position to keep up with the class. No wonder my plank is always out of alignment.  
 
This was an eye-opening moment – I was injuring myself because I wasn’t listening to my body, wasn’t using proper form, wasn’t modifying like I was supposed to and was most likely performing too many reps.

This reminded me of the friend who injured her knee working out in a boot camp class.  Her orthopedic told her he wasn’t fond of boot camp classes, would never recommend someone begin an exercise program with one and felt exercisers over the age of 45 should not participate in them.  His preferred method of exercise was walking.  He said if you walked every day for 30 minutes and maintained a healthy diet (fruit, vegetables and proteins) you would lose weight over time.  He would recommend adding additional low-impact exercises only after a patient walked every day for several months.

As for me – I’ve stopped taking the body attack class.  My gym now offers only one evening session and it is not at a convenient time. January has been extremely busy at work so I’ve missed most of my fitness classes except for an occasional Zumba. I did take a half-hour strength class last week. I performed the entire pushup and plank series on my knees. I feel like I’m starting over again, but this time I’m listening to my body and paying attention to my alignment.

How do you prevent workout injuries?

 

18 comments:

  1. Switching from classes to DVDs was a revelation for me. When I take classes, I stupidly try to keep up. With DVDs, when I'm alone, I'm comfortable modifying like mad and skipping reps if needed. I suspect, now, I'd do better in classes, because I have all that practice modifying things to be low-impact and to protect my joints (including shoulders which is a particular problem area for me, but one that fitness instructors don't encounter as much).

    These days, though, I'm taking the walking advice. A typical day for me is a 40 minute walk. Two or three times a week, I add some stretching or light strength-training because that's what will keep me injury-free in the garden come spring. If it's raining or otherwise icky, I dance / march / mock-sword-fight while watching TV shows on Netflix.

    Thanks for the video! Body Attack does look like fun, but I think I'll leave that to the younger folks.

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    1. All great affordable workout suggestions. I like the idea of exercising to DVD's at home on nights I can't make it to the gym. I can check them out from the library to see if I like them first before buying.

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  2. Altho i do Jazzercize four or five mornings a week, I hope to add a long walk to my day as soon as i retire in June. I find that as i age, i can't put as much energy into the Jazzercize and i feel like i need more of something. Am hoping the walk will do it. And, am thrilled that soon i will have the time to do it at a good time of day. Good luck with your new routine.

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    1. I would love to both work-out and walk every day. I did that over the holidays and loved it. I've tried Jazzercize before and may again someday, but for now still like the idea of a gym.

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  3. This is very interesting! It's so easy to rush and not pay attention to proper form.

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    1. It is. I took a core strength class tonight and noticed my form wasn't good. I've decided it is more about not being strong enough for the class than rushing. Seems like especially in the evenings my gym caters to the younger crowd.

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  4. This is perfect for me, I'm just entering the world of CrossFit, so I've been trying to modify my workouts, because I'm not that hardcore… yet. I also have the worst knees. :(
    Thanks for sharing.
    XOXO

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    1. CrossFit sounds way too hard for me. You'll have to let me know how you like it. And be careful with those knees. My co-worker did something to her knee in boot camp last April and still limps.

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  5. I agree listen to your body and also push yourself to a certain extent so you eventually get stronger. I hurt my knee but continued to work the muscles supporting it and it got stronger. After a few months I was like new. I never understood body attack. #wowlinkup

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    1. Interesting. What exercises did you perform to work the muscles supporting the knee? Did you visit a PT?

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  6. I agree with your doctor, most people over 45 should start with basic weight training or low impact classes. Unless it is a boot-camp for beginners, you and your friends should give it a pass. #wowlinkup

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    1. One of my workout friends came up with an idea this week - a beginners strength training class for women. It wouldn't have to be taught in the aerobic room - just find us an area upstairs. Perhaps then we could have it at a decent time and not have to worry about having a large attendance.

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  7. That class looks crazy!! I've done Insanity a few times (and continue to do the ab workout and warmups 2 times a week) but I'm kinda really, really into my yoga. It doesnt burn as many calories (read - I have to eat less than I want to if I want to lose weight), but it makes me feel good and helps strengthen and limber my muscles up. My yoga is how I slow down enough to focus on form and gaining strength so I can attack my insanity program without hurting myself.

    I would love to someday start lifting. I think weights are so under-utilized! I've heard nothing but good things from women who lift regularly and if I had the guts to go over to that section in the gym, maybe I'd have similar results!

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    1. I've taken yoga a few times, but it costs extra at my gym. Plus, in the evenings we have only one instructor - he teaches at a high level and according to my gym buddy is all about himself. They do offer an intro class taught by him and may consider it. I am changing how I think about exercise - it is more about helping me feel good and helping to prevent heart disease and cancer. Weight loss is all about portion control.

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  8. I have to realize my own limits and modify exercises accordingly for my RA. I can kid myself but I'll end up in more pain if I push myself too hard.

    Thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday Linkup and hope you join us again this weekend! New linkup starts at 8pm EST tonight. Pinning to our linkup board.

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    1. Thanks Tanya. I used to have a gym buddy who has RA. She was taking a weight lifting class, but caused too much pain. She then took my turbo classes. She stopped coming several years ago when she quit her job to stay home with her kids. I haven't seen her in years, so I think she quit the gym too.

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  9. I always start slow, modify when needed and build up my strength and endurance along the way. And listen to my body #wowlinkup

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    1. Sounds like you have it figured out.

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