You can’t maintain your health and fitness without regular exercise. It is commonly accepted that exercising can significantly improve your physical and mental health. Yet, working out can turn into an unpleasant experience when you hurt yourself.
How can something that is supposed to be healthy cause an injury? There may be a variety of reasons. It is important to consider what went wrong while you recover. You might also find that a professional physiotherapist can help you identify existing weaknesses, supporting the recovery and prevention process.
So what can be the underlying cause for your injury? If you are an avid gym-goer, you already know the importance of warming up and stretching. You also know your body and make sure you don’t push yourself too much. You are familiar with the right movements and gestures too. So what happened? The answer is: Some elements of your lifestyle could have weakened your form and fitness.
Your car is uncomfortable
An uncomfortable vehicle can affect your health more deeply than you realize. Indeed, if the seat doesn’t provide sufficient support or height, you can experience frequent lower back and neck pain. It can be a good idea to consider changing the vehicle. You can consider a platform such as Edmunds to compare cars and costs.
How can your car cause workout injuries? If the seat height doesn’t accommodate your height, for example, if you are too tall to sit up inside the car, this can be an issue. You can develop tensions in your neck, back, and shoulders. Drivers who are too short for their vehicles experience similar issues too. In the long term, you can even experience chronic pain and tensions, which will affect your workout form, so you are more likely to hurt yourself.
Your diet lacks essential nutrients
You already take protein shakes to support your muscles. However, protein is only one of the many nutrients your body needs for workout. Calcium is an essential mineral found essentially inside your bones and teeth. Calcium is also present in your bloodstream and reaches your muscles and connective tissues.
Unfortunately, if your diet lacks calcium, which can be the case if you don’t consume dairy products, the body takes calcium from your bones. As a result, your bone density shrinks, and you become more likely to experience stress fractures. It is worth considering testing for calcium deficiency and seeking solutions to replenish your calcium needs.
You don’t sleep enough
Lack of sleep can significantly increase the likelihood of sports injuries, according to a study performed on adolescent athletes. Indeed, sleep deprivation affects both the mind and the body. You may be less attentive to your form or too tired to maintain the correct form. Your muscles are also weaker, which can facilitate injuries.
Additionally, your muscles recover during the sleep phase, and sleep deprivation interferes with the repair process. Suppose you tend to stay up late and get up too early; your cortisol level rises, which can cause muscle breakdown. In other words, lack of sleep doesn’t just slow down muscle repair; it also actively causes muscle destruction!
In conclusion, sleep, comfort, and calcium are some of the most commonly forgotten heroes of the fitness journey. You are unlikely to see positive results if you fail to get enough of those in your day-to-day routine. More to the point, their absence can become the underlying cause of a sports injury.