Top 5 Ways to Avoid Lifting Injuries (in Your 40’s and Beyond)

As fitness professionals, we all understand that the number one factor in achieving long term results is CONSISTENCY. Unfortunately, as those of us born prior to 1980 can relate, chronic aches and pains can often throw a wrench into that goal. Although it can be difficult avoiding things that aggravate your joints, especially when they relate to the demands of your job, activities with your kids (grandkids), or that never-ending honey-do list, your Strength Training program should not be contributing to your issues. Here are 5 ways you can avoid lifting or gym-based injuries, and increase the consistency of your workouts:

1. Don’t force square pegs into round holes. Learn which exercises fit your body and which ones don’t. Strength exercises are not one-size-fits-all, even for younger individuals.

2. Avoid overloading end range-of-motion with maximum or near maximum loads. Its unwise to put your joints under the greatest strain in their most compromised position.

3. Avoid training to all-out failure. You simply don’t need to go there to maximize the benefits of your strength training workout.

4. Prefer Total Body Workouts over Split Routines that emphasize certain muscle groups each workout. Spreading out the work done for a particular muscle group over a week has been shown to be equally or more effective than training a muscle intensively once every 7 days.

5. Strengthen your weak areas, and stabilizing muscles. Don’t neglect the small muscles, those that keep your joints aligned properly, or your posture in check. They might not show as well in the mirror, but they are essential to maintaining your joint health, especially if you’re still pushing yourself.

Its taken me over 30 years of lifting, and lessons learned to actually come to grips with some of these recommendations. I can say without hesitation that once I did, I virtually stopped missing workouts because my knee, shoulder, hip, or back were achy as a result of my last workout. I still have that honey-do list that can flare up an old injury, but I refuse to get hurt in the pursuit of feeling better.

Stay tuned during the month of September for an expanded lesson on each of these recommendations.

Please feel free to share!

CM