1. 5 ways to reduce the risk of injury in the gym

2. 1. Recovery Days
Sometimes in our zeal to dig into a new exercise program, we get overly ambitious. We forget or we don’t know that all the good stuff from exercise actually happens when we rest and recover. Lack of recovery days is one way we can get hurt in the gym.
This is why we can’t workout 7 days a week. Your body needs a chance to catch up from all the good stress it’s been under from exercise.

3. Hardcore Recovery Technique
Recovery Days
A 3 day/week schedule can look something like this:
Monday- workout
Tuesday- recovery day
Wednesday- workout
Thursday- recovery day
Friday- workout
Saturday- recovery day
Sunday- recovery day
In a more seasoned lifter there may be more days involved in the program but would still have to account for rest days. For example a four day program might take Wednesday, Saturday and Sundays off with a workout on the other four days.
Hardcore Recovery Technique

4. 2. Foam Rolling
Tight muscles can hinder proper movement and lead to injury. The foam roller or any type of soft tissue technique (Graston technique, using a lacrosse ball on stiff muscles, massage therapy) can release tension in a tight muscle.
Foam rolling a tight muscle before a training session can also improve performance during a workout.
For more information on how to use this contact us at

5. 3. Sleep
Going along the lines of #1, sleep is vital to your bodies ability to recover. The better your recovery, the less likely you are to get hurt.
In addition, the better rested you are coming into a workout, the less likely you are to make mistakes on form and execution of an exercise. This decreases your chances of injury.

6. 4. Proper food and Hydration
Many of us fail to recognize the impact that food has on our bodies ability to recover from exercise. Remember that food is fuel for the body. If it is being fueled with poor quality food or is chronically underfed or dehydrated, the chances of injury go up.
Eat a lean protein with every meal.
Eat whole food carbohydrates, not processed ones.
Eat at least 2 ½ cups of vegetables a day.
Drink at least 2 liters of water a day, more on days when it’s hot or you are more active.
For more information on a healthy approach to nutrition, go to

7. 5. Movement screening
Movement screening is a process of checking movement quality to gauge whether or not a given type of exercise is safe for the individual.
For example, before adding squats into an exercise program, it should be determined whether or not the person in question can squat properly. If that person can do so, then squats can be a viable part of their program as long as it fits with their goals and desires. But if that person cannot squat properly, then adding squats into the program increases the chances of injury.
There are many ways to screen for safe movement patterns. The most well known, and the one we recommend, is the Functional Movement Screen, or the FMS. This seven step process allows the trainer a jump-off point when writing a program with the client’s safety in mind. For more information on the FMS, go to

8. Wrap up
So there you go. That’s our list of the top 5 ways to reduce chances of injury when undertaking an exercise program. To recap:
Recovery days
Foam rolling (or any type of soft-tissue management really)
Sleep
Proper food and hydration
Movement Screening
For more information on any of these topics feel free to contact us at or just give us a call at (240) Good luck and enjoy!