In the past year, most workouts have been done in at-home gyms, living rooms, and backyards. With the pandemic restrictions coming to an end, more people are heading back to the gym, but others prefer to get their workout time in at home. While exercising at home has the advantage of privacy and convenience, it also can put you at a higher risk for injury.
Without the supervision of trained gym staff, you are more likely to suffer an injury when you work out at home. The smallest things can go wrong with your workout when you are in your home environment, from knocking over a lamp to overdoing it with your workouts.
If you prefer your home gym, there are a few ways that you can take care to prevent injuries. From hydrating and fueling your body with a pre or post-workout supplement to ensuring that your exercise space is safe, using common sense is the best way to avoid injuries in your home workout. Let’s look at a few tips to help you avoid workout injuries at home.
Take It Slow
If you have decided that it’s time to lose that extra COVID weight by working out at home, you will need to start slow. You may have high levels of enthusiasm, but it can be easy to overwork your muscles when you are getting started. Take your time with your workouts and start with low reps and work up from there. Your focus should be on your form before you begin to increase your weight or your reps. The progress will come, but starting slow can help you avoid unnecessary muscle strain and injury.
Hydrate
Exercising is hard work and requires your body to be adequately fueled and hydrated. Always keep a water bottle handy during your workouts and take sips of your drink while you rest between sets. After your workout, you need to continue to hydrate for at least an hour. You can add an electrolyte supplement to your water to help your body recover faster from your workout. Not being properly hydrated during your home workout could result in dizziness, weakness, headache, and vomiting.
Appropriate Space
Every style of workout requires a different size of space. If you are doing yoga, you may only need enough room to move around on your mat; for more vigorous workouts like kickboxing or Zumba, you should have enough space to move around safely. When you choose a workout spot in your home, make sure that you have checked for hazards.
Take a look at where hanging lights may get in your way, a loose carpet that could cause a fall or a piece of furniture that could be in your way before you start your workout.
Know Your Limits
Knowing your limits requires you to evaluate your ego. We all want to excel at what we are doing, but we must take the time to develop skills to stay safe. Make personal adjustments to your workout and be realistic about your current skill level and your goals. Jumping in too fast or choosing a workout beyond your current limits could easily result in an injury.
At-home workout injuries like back strain pulled muscles, and you can avoid dehydration if you take time to consider your safety. Follow these tips to help you avoid workout injuries at home.
