Given today’s sedentary lifestyle, many hit the gym to get fit. Ironically, the gym is where many get injured! If you’ve searched for workout injury prevention, how to prevent sports injuries, injury prevention for runners, or injury prevention exercises, this blog is for you.
What is Injury Prevention?
To prevent injury, we must move as our bodies are designed to. Functional movement is the key. Your brain already knows this because you were born to move correctly. Every baby follows the same developmental movement stages (except in rare genetic disorders).
Deviating from natural movement increases injury risk. To prevent injury, address the following:
- Decentered joints
- Muscle imbalances
- Pathological movement patterns
- Poor posture
Brain-Based Neurology and Posture, combined with Developmental Kinesiology, tackle these issues. Understanding how babies develop movement and restoring those lost patterns in adults is crucial. Watch this video for more:
Most people only think about injury prevention after getting hurt. But why wait when your health is at stake?
How Important is Injury Prevention?
Health isn’t an expense—it’s an investment. Paying for prevention now saves you from costly medical issues later. Some avoid preventative care, only to spend more on treating injuries that could have been avoided.
Professional athletes prioritize prevention because they understand the time and effort required to recover. Injuries impact daily life, cause chronic pain, and affect relationships. It’s not about how long we live but how well we live.
Who Needs Injury Prevention Strategies?
Injury prevention isn’t just for athletes. Desk workers fill my office more than professional athletes. Many gym-goers overload their joints, use improper form, and get injured.
Sitting too long weakens some muscles while overusing others. Then, hitting the gym forces exhausted muscles to do more. No wonder gyms cause more injuries than fitness gains!
Whether you work a desk job, run, cycle, play sports, or lift kids, functional movement is essential.
How to Avoid Workout Injuries
Step one: breathing. Many talk about different breathing techniques, but the correct way is how newborns naturally breathe. Unfortunately, today’s sedentary lifestyle disrupts this natural pattern early on.
The first thing a newborn does is breathe. That breath kickstarts the body, setting the foundation for movement. Watch how babies breathe—notice their large abdomens? They effectively use the space between their abdominal and pelvic diaphragms.
What we call “belly breathing” stems from this natural process. Imagine your abdomen as a barrel providing stability. Contrast that with the “hourglass” or “six-pack” look, which sacrifices function for aesthetics.
Want to breathe as you once did? Watch this video and practice twice daily:
Posture and Movement Correction for Injury Prevention
Only 5% of posture is a conscious decision. The rest depends on how the brain compensates for daily habits. Poor posture leads to misaligned joints. If your body isn’t moving properly, you’re primed for injury.
Going to the gym to “fix” weaknesses without proper form only reinforces bad habits. The brain will do whatever it takes to complete an exercise, even if it means using the wrong muscles. Over time, this leads to injuries. What’s the fix?
Watch this video to learn how the best exercises mimic the movements infants go through between 6 weeks and 16 months. Watch this video to understand why.
It’s easy to follow fitness fads, quick-fix treatments, or rely on drugs and procedures. But as Buddha said: “Believe nothing, no matter who said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and common sense.”
Contact us if you find yourself needing assistance correcting your movement and posture.
Dr. Shakib