More people are lifting weights than ever before. Further, there are more accidents from weight lifting than ever before. From 1990 to 2007 there has been over a million accidents and a 48% increase annually. According to the April issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, accidents involving women has increased faster than with men, 63% for women and 43% with men.
Interestingly enough, women were more prone to injuring their feet and/or legs. While men are more likely to injury their hands and/or trunk. Men had more strains and sprains, while women had more fractures. 90% of the injuries were from free weights versus machines.
I hypothesize the statistics are reflective of men generally focusing on the muscles in their torso and women focusing on their legs when working out. Most injuries and accidents can be prevented. Lessons to be learned:
- Learn the proper form and mechanics for every exercise that you perform before you perform it.
- Make sure you are 110% confident on performing the exercise correctly on your own before attempting it without supervision.
- Seek professional guidance and advice. A professional can see things that the untrained eye may not catch. – Have a spotter, especially when using free weights.
- Always check with your physician before starting an exercise routine
- Drink plenty of water, stay hydrated
- Be conscious, be mindful of your surroundings and your body
- Quality is more important than quantity.
No Comments so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.