Top 10 Silliest Ways to Get Injured in Your Gym
Gyms seem to be relatively safe places. These indoor artificial islands for what Mother Nature has intended for us to do –run, jump, fight, and climb– have replaced the jungles of real islands. Whether we are going to the gym frequently or not, we expect to walk out the front doors without any complaints other than the normal soreness brought on by a hard workout.
Unfortunately, some of us do get gym injuries, ranging from muscle strains, tendonitis and bursitis to fractured bones, concussions and broken teeth. There’s absolutely no fun in getting injured and not being able to keep doing what you love, but some of the ways we get injured are quite odd. These ways are silly because, if some thought had been put into it beforehand, the injuries could have been easily avoided.
Here is a brief description of the Top 10 Silliest Gym Injuries and how you can prevent them.
10. Undernutrition and over exercise.
So, one of my friends, let’s call her Maggie, decided to make a present for her boyfriend while he was away on a business trip. Nothing less than loosing 20 pounds and entering back into the “pretty slim girls” category. What’s the fastest way? That’s right, minimum food and maximum exercise! On the third day of her boot camp, Maggie made a swan dive from the stationary bicycle and cracked her jaw after hitting the floor. Yeah, there was a moment of silence in the gym. In the hospital Maggie was diagnosed with starvation. She fainted because her body wasn’t getting enough energy from lack of food, so her brain “turned off” to use fewer resources.
When exercising, make sure you have a balanced diet, enough calories, iron, calcium, protein and fiber. Here’s a good article on weight loss nutrition and diet recommendation: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/123004a.htm
9. Drop a heavy weight on yourself
There’s nothing more amusing in co-ed gyms than when men try to impress the ladies (ok, and other men too) with heavy weight lifting. The funny part is when men overestimate their abilities and try too much without proper training and supervision. Usually, when you see one of these, it’s a show stopper in the gym. Everyone watches this potential hero, if not directly, then through a mirror. He walks around the weight bar and assembles weight plates for half an hour; his buddies get around in a circle, exchange a few short words and get serious and silent. Then four of them lift the bar on the stand, and our hero gets comfy on the bench. He breaths loud, grabs the bar, lifts, sweats, turns red and… drops the weight on his chest. Then his eyes become so huge and expressive. And you hear the manly groan of the squeezed man. And then everyone rushes to help him.
Actually, the worst case scenario would be if this guy was lifting weights without any supervision from his buddies. If you drop a heavy weight on your chest, and there’s no one to help you, well, you can die.
Always, always make sure you do heavy weight lifting together with a friend who can help you. And for added silliness, do not bump into weight trees or racks, and don’t drop anything heavy on your feet.
Here’s your Top 10 Commandments for avoiding weight room injury: http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/injurypreventiontreatment/tp/trainingsafe.htm
8. Meditate or stretch in the active sports area
When I attended university, one of the gyms where I was exercising was built as a multi-level structure, i.e. the weight room was surrounded by the racing track, and part of the inside circle had no floor and was open to the basketball court on the level below. Gym mats for stretching were lying around everywhere in the corners. I’ll tell you what, it’s not a pleasant feeling when a ball lands on your head when your chakras are opening or your knee is behind your ear. Sudden impact on your stretched muscles when you don’t expect it can cause serious injuries.
Stretch in the safe place, away from the action, and meditate in a quiet place. It’s already hard enough to concentrate, even without all the distractions.
Here’s a great resource on stretching: http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/
7. Change weights on the exercise equipment while it’s in use
I don’t mean to endorse any products, but I love all those neat Nautilus machines in my gym. You can easily reach the weight stuck and add a few more “bricks”, or remove a few. Find your sweet spot and enjoy your workout.
Sometimes when you’re concentrating on your routine, you don’t pay much attention to all the safety warnings glued right in front of your eyes. Raise your hands if you haven’t had your fingers pinched at least once when you were trying to change the weight before all the weights were completely down. Honestly!
Even worse, have you ever tried helping your friend having all the best intentions: “Who does this exercise with only 20 pounds? Let me help you, Jenny. You need a few more. Ouch!”
So, be careful with machines when they’re in use. Don’t put your fingers in the wrong places, as your mama told you. Here, go back to the basics and start with learning how to wear a helmet: http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/sport_safety.html
6. Run counter to the common direction
As we go on, our injury reasons get sillier and sillier. Ever tried running in the opposite direction on the racing track? During the rush hour, when everyone is in the gym? I bet you can do a circle or two safely, then you’ll get hit by a big guy who didn’t see you because his eyes are sweaty, and then a dozen feet will run all over you, everyone will fall, and there will be screams, fights, lots of bruises.
Why do people need to run in the opposite direction? They get dizzy. Circular motion can cause more imbalance and giddiness readily or sooner than other movements since the brain cannot easily accommodate fast moving objects (as visualized by the eye).
Make sure you get plenty of fresh air and read this article on motion sickness: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_sickness. They say ginger tea might be a good idea.
5. Sit in a split without stretching
Stretching in the wrong place is bad, but no stretching at all is worse. Recently I attended a party at my friend’s house and met a cute guy named Matt. During our conversation he mentioned he used to be a full contact fighter and was really fond of martial arts when he was a teenager. Karate, Jujutsu, Tae Kwon Do, Shaolin. You get the idea. I asked him if he practiced any of these recently, and he told me a story. Last year, after several years outside of martial arts, Matt went to a gym and decided to go back to his childhood passion big time. He kicked air a few times, jumped a few times and then sat in a split. And pulled his groin! Say it with me: “Ouch!”
Of all the soft-tissue injuries the athlete can suffer, groin injuries are potentially the most debilitating and frustrating of all. Read this about groin injuries: http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sprainsstrains/a/groinstrain.htm
Here’s a good advice for split training: http://www.body-fizzeek.co.uk/splits.htm
4. Running shoes accidents: wrong shoes, wet soles, untied shoelaces…
When you were little and watched cartoons about Tom and Jerry or Woody Woodpecker, weren’t all their trip-and-fall accidents just hilarious? Oh come on, I can’t believe you didn’t laugh your head off. You know what? We are adults now, but it’s still funny, even when you know it’s impolite to laugh (you giggle internally, we know it).
Be smart about your shoes, don’t let untied shoelaces send you into a floor slide or trap you in the exercise machine, and unclean wet soles to ground you on your fifth element. In the gym it’s even more embarrassing because you were just going to show everyone how well you bench press. Wrong shoes will definitely spoil your satisfaction from the workout routine (guaranteed by a certified shoe-aholic).
Here’s your running shoe prescription with shoe diagrams and pictures: http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2005/0105/asplund.htm
3. Get on StairMaster/Treadmill while drunk/intoxicated
No, you’re not a Shaolin Drunken Master. Wait a second… Hmmm… Nope. You still think you are? What are you doing on the treadmill then?
Anyway, listen to the story kids. Back in the wonderful college days, a few buddies decided to celebrate Student Day, which, if I’m not mistaken, is every other Tuesday. They had enough beers and coolers to make the world beautiful, and then for some unexplainable reason they went to the gym. And, of course, as in any normal male competitive environment, they have a bet about who’s going to run faster and longer on a treadmill. I don’t know exactly who won and either did they because one of them vomited and had to clean the gym, and the other one fell and broke his wrist. Silly!
Go ask Alice if this was a good idea: http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1489.html
2. Flirt with a big guy
Oh man, this is sad and funny. One of the guys in my gym was punched in the face after he blocked the mirror and complemented another big guy’s nicely shaped thighs. Come on, it was innocent! All he wanted was to find out about the workout routine that made this miracle happen.
Yeah, don’t break men’s no-no rule: no talking to the stranger in the gym, just growl.
Gym etiquette is an interesting topic. Offences can range from simply being rude —lingering on machines long after you are done or chatting loudly on your cell phone— to poor hygiene and not wiping your sweat from machines once you’re finished. Always be considerate of other exercisers.
Ask Men about the gym etiquette: http://ca.askmen.com/fashion/how_to_150/155_how_to.html
1. Slip on banana peel
Ta-da! Here’s the winner!
Extremely silly reason, but it happened during a non-athletic event that was held in the gym. The gym’s hardwood floor was freshly cleaned, the party was nice, people ate, people danced, people littered a little bit (as can happen), and then a woman stepped on a banana peel, slipped, fell and hurt her tail bone!
Make sure your gym is safe during all the non-athletic events as well. Use gym floor covers with anti-slip texture for banquettes, graduations and parties. Check out this gym floor covers website for more into: http://www.covermaster.net
Good luck with your gym experiences and I hope you will never get injured, especially in a silly way!
Yours
Lisa Cohen
Unfortunately, some of us do get gym injuries, ranging from muscle strains, tendonitis and bursitis to fractured bones, concussions and broken teeth. There’s absolutely no fun in getting injured and not being able to keep doing what you love, but some of the ways we get injured are quite odd. These ways are silly because, if some thought had been put into it beforehand, the injuries could have been easily avoided.
Here is a brief description of the Top 10 Silliest Gym Injuries and how you can prevent them.
10. Undernutrition and over exercise.
So, one of my friends, let’s call her Maggie, decided to make a present for her boyfriend while he was away on a business trip. Nothing less than loosing 20 pounds and entering back into the “pretty slim girls” category. What’s the fastest way? That’s right, minimum food and maximum exercise! On the third day of her boot camp, Maggie made a swan dive from the stationary bicycle and cracked her jaw after hitting the floor. Yeah, there was a moment of silence in the gym. In the hospital Maggie was diagnosed with starvation. She fainted because her body wasn’t getting enough energy from lack of food, so her brain “turned off” to use fewer resources.
When exercising, make sure you have a balanced diet, enough calories, iron, calcium, protein and fiber. Here’s a good article on weight loss nutrition and diet recommendation: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/123004a.htm
9. Drop a heavy weight on yourself
There’s nothing more amusing in co-ed gyms than when men try to impress the ladies (ok, and other men too) with heavy weight lifting. The funny part is when men overestimate their abilities and try too much without proper training and supervision. Usually, when you see one of these, it’s a show stopper in the gym. Everyone watches this potential hero, if not directly, then through a mirror. He walks around the weight bar and assembles weight plates for half an hour; his buddies get around in a circle, exchange a few short words and get serious and silent. Then four of them lift the bar on the stand, and our hero gets comfy on the bench. He breaths loud, grabs the bar, lifts, sweats, turns red and… drops the weight on his chest. Then his eyes become so huge and expressive. And you hear the manly groan of the squeezed man. And then everyone rushes to help him.
Actually, the worst case scenario would be if this guy was lifting weights without any supervision from his buddies. If you drop a heavy weight on your chest, and there’s no one to help you, well, you can die.
Always, always make sure you do heavy weight lifting together with a friend who can help you. And for added silliness, do not bump into weight trees or racks, and don’t drop anything heavy on your feet.
Here’s your Top 10 Commandments for avoiding weight room injury: http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/injurypreventiontreatment/tp/trainingsafe.htm
8. Meditate or stretch in the active sports area
When I attended university, one of the gyms where I was exercising was built as a multi-level structure, i.e. the weight room was surrounded by the racing track, and part of the inside circle had no floor and was open to the basketball court on the level below. Gym mats for stretching were lying around everywhere in the corners. I’ll tell you what, it’s not a pleasant feeling when a ball lands on your head when your chakras are opening or your knee is behind your ear. Sudden impact on your stretched muscles when you don’t expect it can cause serious injuries.
Stretch in the safe place, away from the action, and meditate in a quiet place. It’s already hard enough to concentrate, even without all the distractions.
Here’s a great resource on stretching: http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/
7. Change weights on the exercise equipment while it’s in use
I don’t mean to endorse any products, but I love all those neat Nautilus machines in my gym. You can easily reach the weight stuck and add a few more “bricks”, or remove a few. Find your sweet spot and enjoy your workout.
Sometimes when you’re concentrating on your routine, you don’t pay much attention to all the safety warnings glued right in front of your eyes. Raise your hands if you haven’t had your fingers pinched at least once when you were trying to change the weight before all the weights were completely down. Honestly!
Even worse, have you ever tried helping your friend having all the best intentions: “Who does this exercise with only 20 pounds? Let me help you, Jenny. You need a few more. Ouch!”
So, be careful with machines when they’re in use. Don’t put your fingers in the wrong places, as your mama told you. Here, go back to the basics and start with learning how to wear a helmet: http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/sport_safety.html
6. Run counter to the common direction
As we go on, our injury reasons get sillier and sillier. Ever tried running in the opposite direction on the racing track? During the rush hour, when everyone is in the gym? I bet you can do a circle or two safely, then you’ll get hit by a big guy who didn’t see you because his eyes are sweaty, and then a dozen feet will run all over you, everyone will fall, and there will be screams, fights, lots of bruises.
Why do people need to run in the opposite direction? They get dizzy. Circular motion can cause more imbalance and giddiness readily or sooner than other movements since the brain cannot easily accommodate fast moving objects (as visualized by the eye).
Make sure you get plenty of fresh air and read this article on motion sickness: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_sickness. They say ginger tea might be a good idea.
5. Sit in a split without stretching
Stretching in the wrong place is bad, but no stretching at all is worse. Recently I attended a party at my friend’s house and met a cute guy named Matt. During our conversation he mentioned he used to be a full contact fighter and was really fond of martial arts when he was a teenager. Karate, Jujutsu, Tae Kwon Do, Shaolin. You get the idea. I asked him if he practiced any of these recently, and he told me a story. Last year, after several years outside of martial arts, Matt went to a gym and decided to go back to his childhood passion big time. He kicked air a few times, jumped a few times and then sat in a split. And pulled his groin! Say it with me: “Ouch!”
Of all the soft-tissue injuries the athlete can suffer, groin injuries are potentially the most debilitating and frustrating of all. Read this about groin injuries: http://orthopedics.about.com/cs/sprainsstrains/a/groinstrain.htm
Here’s a good advice for split training: http://www.body-fizzeek.co.uk/splits.htm
4. Running shoes accidents: wrong shoes, wet soles, untied shoelaces…
When you were little and watched cartoons about Tom and Jerry or Woody Woodpecker, weren’t all their trip-and-fall accidents just hilarious? Oh come on, I can’t believe you didn’t laugh your head off. You know what? We are adults now, but it’s still funny, even when you know it’s impolite to laugh (you giggle internally, we know it).
Be smart about your shoes, don’t let untied shoelaces send you into a floor slide or trap you in the exercise machine, and unclean wet soles to ground you on your fifth element. In the gym it’s even more embarrassing because you were just going to show everyone how well you bench press. Wrong shoes will definitely spoil your satisfaction from the workout routine (guaranteed by a certified shoe-aholic).
Here’s your running shoe prescription with shoe diagrams and pictures: http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2005/0105/asplund.htm
3. Get on StairMaster/Treadmill while drunk/intoxicated
No, you’re not a Shaolin Drunken Master. Wait a second… Hmmm… Nope. You still think you are? What are you doing on the treadmill then?
Anyway, listen to the story kids. Back in the wonderful college days, a few buddies decided to celebrate Student Day, which, if I’m not mistaken, is every other Tuesday. They had enough beers and coolers to make the world beautiful, and then for some unexplainable reason they went to the gym. And, of course, as in any normal male competitive environment, they have a bet about who’s going to run faster and longer on a treadmill. I don’t know exactly who won and either did they because one of them vomited and had to clean the gym, and the other one fell and broke his wrist. Silly!
Go ask Alice if this was a good idea: http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1489.html
2. Flirt with a big guy
Oh man, this is sad and funny. One of the guys in my gym was punched in the face after he blocked the mirror and complemented another big guy’s nicely shaped thighs. Come on, it was innocent! All he wanted was to find out about the workout routine that made this miracle happen.
Yeah, don’t break men’s no-no rule: no talking to the stranger in the gym, just growl.
Gym etiquette is an interesting topic. Offences can range from simply being rude —lingering on machines long after you are done or chatting loudly on your cell phone— to poor hygiene and not wiping your sweat from machines once you’re finished. Always be considerate of other exercisers.
Ask Men about the gym etiquette: http://ca.askmen.com/fashion/how_to_150/155_how_to.html
1. Slip on banana peel
Ta-da! Here’s the winner!
Extremely silly reason, but it happened during a non-athletic event that was held in the gym. The gym’s hardwood floor was freshly cleaned, the party was nice, people ate, people danced, people littered a little bit (as can happen), and then a woman stepped on a banana peel, slipped, fell and hurt her tail bone!
Make sure your gym is safe during all the non-athletic events as well. Use gym floor covers with anti-slip texture for banquettes, graduations and parties. Check out this gym floor covers website for more into: http://www.covermaster.net
Good luck with your gym experiences and I hope you will never get injured, especially in a silly way!
Yours
Lisa Cohen
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