It’s critically important that you exercise in the safest possible manner. Regardless of your specific goals, sustaining a workout-related injury is going to cause setbacks and decrease your motivation. That’s not even accounting for the physical pain associated with even short term injuries. More severe injuries could cause permanent damage and lifelong pain. I’m not saying this to discourage you from exercising, because when performed properly resistance training is perfectly safe. But when you ignore proper exercise form and exert too much force in the wrong direction, bad things can happen instantaneously.
There’s one simple tip that can drastically reduce your chance for injury in the gym. I would say it’s just as important as the common tips you may be familiar with, such as making sure you’re properly warmed up, and always having a spotter when lifting heavy weights.
The tip consists of these 3 Ps: Practice Perfect Posture. Any time you are exercising with significant speed or resistance (and especially both), you should keep your spine in proper alignment by holding proper posture.
During most exercises your chin should by up and your eyes forward (or look in the direction of your motion). Tilting the head down tends to round the upper back, which then begins to degrade posture. Keep your shoulders back (slumping the shoulders also starts to degrade posture). Lock your lower back so it’s flat or even arched slightly.
You should not bend forward at your stomach level. Keep your abs flat and if you need to bend, do so from your hips. If you’re picking up weight, even just between sets, be sure to lower your level to pick it up by bending at the knees. Keep your back straight and if you feel that you can’t keep enough tension in your lower back to keep from rounding forward, then you are trying to lift too much weight or you are using improper technique.
If you’re unsure what proper posture looks and feels like, find a personal trainer, physical therapist, or chiropractor to teach you before you start using heavy resistance.
Protect your back, and don’t let it round forward during resistance training. A back injury can take your out of your training routine for weeks, months, years, or even the rest of your life. In a future entry we’ll talk more about protecting your knees and shoulders from injury.
