- Do a balanced program. Work your whole body; don’t concentrate on just a few muscles.
- Use good form and technique. Don’t hyperextend the knee with the leg press, don’t let your knee go past your toes with squats or lunges, and don’t use momentum to lift heavy weight.
- Exercise through the entire range of motion to get optimal results.
- Do not lift weights too often or increase the intensity too quickly. Increase at a consistent gradual progression to avoid injury.
- Cross train so your body does not get used to the workout.
- Work on your core muscles. Strengthening your abdominals can help prevent back injuries.
- If you have back pain, avoid excess loads on the spine. Such as, squats with weight, the lumbar extension machine, and twisting exercises.
- If you have shoulder pain, avoid overhead weighted exercises and any exercise where the arms lift out to the side.
If you experience pain while you are working out, you should stop and apply ice. If you continue to have discomfort with exercise, contact Harbor Physical Therapy to decrease your pain with exercise and find out how to avoid pain with exercise.