Injuries are common when it comes to resistance training and building muscle, while joint injury is less common than general muscle strain injuries, it should be taken a lot more seriously. Joint injuries are a constant threat, and one that should not be taken lightly.
Most Common Type Of Joint Injury
There are a lot of types of injury that could negatively affect joints, not all of them are likely to be caused by resistance training, but all of them can put resistance training out of the question. The most common type of joint injury in training is a sprain.
Everybody has sprained an ankle at some point, which may not seem too bad, but it can get a lot worse if not treated properly. A sprain is the result of the tendons holding a joint together stretching too much or tearing as a result of overstress or instant shock.
Joint Injury Vs Muscle Injury
Muscle injury is by far the most common injury faced by athletes and resistance trainers, while joint injury is less common, it is still common enough to take precautions against. Muscle injuries usually take from three to six weeks to make a full recovery, while joint injuries are, on average, double the recovery time.
The healing cycle also changes quite drastically between the two when it comes to use while in recovery. For a muscle injury, when the initial pain starts to fade, usually within the first 2 weeks, starting to use the muscle again is recommended to promote extra blood flow and faster healing. A muscle is not able to work it its full capacity within two weeks of healing, but some workload is healthy and aids in recovery.
A joint injury on the other hand is prone to repeated injury for a considerable time after the initial injury. Joint injuries need to be treated as a fracture or break, in that a repeated injury is likely to be worse than the initial injury.
How To Prevent Joint Injury
When it comes to joint injury, prevention is far preferable over a cure. While there is no definite way to ensure there is never an injury in the gym, there are a few steps that can be taken to minimize the odds of injuring joints.
- Slow Down – When doing repetitions, take it slow. Sudden lockouts of knees, elbows and shoulders can cause massive levels of strain on joints. Stick to your existing number of repetitions, but don’t rush them. Approach the joint’s maximum extensions slowly and without too much momentum
- Stretch – Stretching before a workout is one of the most important things you can do to prevent joint injury.
- Rest – Feeling the burn or pain in muscles as working out is a great feeling that many resistance trainers strive for. Feeling the same nature of pain in your joints is never a good sign. When this happens, take a break, spend some time at online casinos in Dubai and only resume working out when the pain no longer persists.
With good form and keeping the health of your joints in mind, you too should be able to avoid joint injury.