January is one of the busiest months in the gym as people try to get their fitness back on track. In the clinic we see an increased number of patients who have suffered from a gym related injury such as back & neck pain, sciatica, ankle sprain and shoulder pain.

Here are our top tips to stop you getting injured on your return to fitness

• Proper Assessment and Screening: It’s important you know how your body is moving and of any physical limitations that might prevent good pain free movement. A good screening can also highlight potential areas of weakness that causes injuries to occur. Ask your medical and health professional for a functional movement screen (FMS).
• Stay Hydrated: Increased training levels means that you will need to increase your water intake. Add himalayan pink salts to your water as a natural electrolyte
• Warm Up: A 5 minute cardio session prior to a gym workout will get the core temperature up and prepare the body properly for each session.
• Sleep: The best recovery tool on the market is sleep. Make sure you get a solid 8 hours a night.
• No Pain No Gain: No one should train or do an exercise that gives them pain, this causes the body to move differently and compensate around the pain.
• Overtraining: 3-4 gym sessions are optimal for maintaining good fitness levels. For proper recovery, training 6-7 times a week will only lead to injury.

If you would like a functional injury prevention screening or you are suffering from a gym related injury please contact the clinic for a consultation.

Yours in Health

The Lawlor Clinic

Chiropractic | Active Release Techniques (ART®) | Golf & Sports Injuries