{"id":9829,"date":"2022-10-20T17:54:09","date_gmt":"2022-10-20T17:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/how-to-injury-proof-your-workouts\/"},"modified":"2022-10-20T17:54:09","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T17:54:09","slug":"how-to-injury-proof-your-workouts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/how-to-injury-proof-your-workouts\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Injury-Proof Your Workouts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness and nutrition courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you \n >”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>sign up for Outside+.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
It\u2019s ironic: Strength training can help prevent numerous muscle and joint injuries, yet many people still get hurt in the gym. The good news is that old injuries can be protected and new ones prevented by just slightly altering the way you work out.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a joint-by-joint look at some of the most common areas that cause us pain \u2014 and how to tweak your routine to end up stronger than ever.<\/p>\n
Problem Area: Shoulders<\/h2>\n
Because of its structure, your shoulder joint is one of the most vulnerable areas on your body, and up to a third of weightlifting injuries occur here.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can exert relatively large forces on the shoulder because of the lever arm, so you need to [strengthen the] rotator cuff muscles that hold the shoulder in place,\u201d says Dr. Ronald Karzel, an orthopedic surgeon and shoulder specialist at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Santa Clarita, California. \u201cWomen are also a bit more flexible and tend to have looser shoulder joints, so heavier lifting can put them at greater risk.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition, your shoulder blade moves along with your arm to allow for greater range of motion. Therefore, if you\u2019re tight in your back or chest, or if your shoulder blade is in the wrong position when doing a move, you\u2019ll cause irritation to muscles and tendons.<\/p>\n
Solution:<\/strong>\u00a0Shore up your rotator cuffs with Y\u2019s and T\u2019s, and learn how to properly \u201cpack\u201d your shoulder blades into the proper position with Pull-Ups Plus. Also, stretch the muscles of your back and chest regularly to facilitate greater range of motion in your upper body as a whole.<\/p>\n