Spinal Problems Caused by a Poor Technique in the Gym

Adopting poor technique when exercising in the gym can lead to spinal problems. It's no good training hard if you're doing it incorrectly. You may even cause more harm than good!

Spinal problems caused by a poor technique in the gym usually happens when someone hasn’t received a proper induction. Each exercise has its own technique and if you don’t stick to it, you could end up injuring yourself.

Furthermore, spinal problems can stop you training for a significant period of time, and if the injury is serious, you may need specialist treatment.

The most important area to protect is the intervertebral discs. You may have already heard of an injury known as a herniated disc? This is where a disc becomes dislocated and pinches the nerves running to the legs, causing difficulty walking.

Excessive exercise and training with too much weight can also lead to injury. If you don’t have a personal trainer to supervise you, your enthusiasm might get the better of you and lead to a spinal injury.

Spinal problems from a poor technique: direct causes

It’s possible to take steps to minimize the risk of developing spinal problems in the gym. The key is to focus on intensity, technique, and speed of progress.

Body curvature

Naturally, the spine isn’t completely straight. It has natural curves in order to distribute your body weight and make your limbs more flexible.

However, these curvatures can be altered due to either a birth defect or misuse. The three most common problems are scoliosis, kyphosis, and hyperlordosis.

Scoliosis is the term given to the condition where the spine excessively curves to the right or left. This happens as a result of a slight rotation in the vertebrae which deforms the axis of the spine. This is entirely possible if you apply a poor technique in the gym.

Kyphosis is the result of prolonged, inappropriate use of the spine because of poor technique. A rise in the spine forms, usually under the cervical area, which looks like a hump.

Finally, hyperlordosis is the opposite of kyphosis. The spine accentuates its forward curvature and weakens the muscles that surround it. For someone suffering from hyperlordosis, some exercises can be counterproductive and even harmful.

Poor supervision: spinal problems from a poor technique

For healthy people with no underlying skeletal or muscle conditions, any spinal problems would firstly suggest a poor technique. If they haven’t received the correct guidance at the beginning, there’s a high chance that they’ve injured themselves.

Firstly, every person’s back is different. It would be rather foolish to think that all people of all ages can do the same exercises. This is one way that personal trainers can help by devising personalized plans which suit your age and condition.

Secondly, each gym exercise will have a specific technique to follow. These techniques are the result of careful study and investigation so as to prevent injury.

If you’re doing a workout in the gym that doesn’t respect the spine’s natural curvature, you’re likely to injure yourself. But, if you use the right technique, you’ll avoid injury by adapting your posture to your spine’s natural shape and movement.

Overloading

Any workout plan in the gym should be progressive and adapted to your goals and abilities. It should stimulate the body to gradually improved performance, increasing load, and intensity as you make progress.

But, if you try to go too fast or too hard, then spinal problems are much more likely to occur. Once again, a personal trainer will be able to advise you on the right weight to train with and how many repetitions to perform so as to minimize the risk of injury.

Injuries don’t just appear because of a single attempt to lift an excessively heavyweight. They can also be the result of repetitive stress. Someone whose overloaded their spine for a month might not feel as though there’s a problem, but lower back pain could soon appear just a few weeks later.

General guidance to avoid spinal problems in the gym

Spinal problems caused by a poor technique in the gym are completely avoidable. All you need to do is stick to some general rules regarding your workouts and their intensity.

Firstly, always start off with smaller weights and gradually increase them. Fatigue is a great indicator of when it’s time to stop. Going beyond what your body is capable of isn’t going to benefit you at all.

As well as your workouts, make sure you eat well and get plenty of rest. These things should be at the heart of any exercise plan.

In conclusion, if you have any doubts, get some professional advice. Every gym will have a team of professionals who are able to advise you and supervise you to prevent the risk of injury. They’re there to keep you safe. So, if you have any questions and want to avoid making mistakes, don’t hesitate to seek their assistance.