- Last Updated:
- 8/2/2024
- Chelsea Ramsey
When it comes to fitness training, achieving a client’s goals and staying injury-free go hand in hand.
While pushing a client to new heights is important, it’s equally crucial to prioritize safety during workouts. This can lower the chance of injury, and in turn, the likelihood of you having to pay for damages.
7 Strategies to Prevent Fitness Injuries
Of course you want to keep your clients safe and injury-free while they’re working with you. Don’t forget that keeping them safe from injuries also helps keep you and your business safe from costly claims.
Conduct Assessments
You should already be collecting health history forms like a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) before working with any new client to ensure they are clear to participate in a fitness program and to make sure you are aware of any medical conditions, past injuries, or physical limitations.
Complement health history questionnaires with your own movement screenings early on in order to assess clients’ starting points and look for muscle imbalances. This helps you plan the appropriate exercises and create a workout plan designed around each individual’s needs.
Warm-Up and Cool-Down
Proper warm-ups and cool-downs are often overlooked, yet are some of the easiest and simplest injury prevention tools.
A good warm-up includes activity-specific movements that gradually build in intensity and dynamic stretching. Educate your clients on the importance of these practices and how they help increase blood flow, improve flexibility, and reduce soreness.
If your clients are newer to exercising, provide them some routines that they can do on their own. Include 5–10 minutes for each at the start and end of every class.
Form First
Improper form is one of the most common causes of exercise-related injuries. Poor form can lead to injuries both suddenly or over a prolonged period of time, so make sure to coach clients through corrections consistently. Or offer modifications until they can perform the exercise correctly.
Gradual Intensity Increases
Overexertion, or doing too much too soon, is another cause of exercise-related injuries. Monitor your clients and stress the importance of allowing their bodies time to adapt to new movements.
Some soreness is okay. Pain or consistent, debilitating soreness can be signs of injury. Provide clients with a plan that involves smaller benchmarks along the way to their bigger goals effectively and safely.
Exercise Variation
Overuse injuries occur most frequently in individuals who perform a lot of repetitive movements during their daily lives or activities. Help avoid these by implementing a variety of exercises and exercise volumes.
Remind clients to avoid doing the same routine multiple days in a row, or encourage them to try cross-training by adding in other activities like walking, swimming, etc.
Rest and Recovery
Overtraining syndrome is real and can lead to a variety of issues in addition to injuries like strains and tendonitis. This is why proper rest and recovery are vital components of anyone’s exercise program.
Stress the importance of rest days, adequate sleep, proper hydration and nutrition to help avoid burnout and aid in muscle repair and growth.
Equipment Maintenance
Keep your equipment clean and in good working order to avoid injuries related to broken or worn out gear.
Remember to conduct regular wear and tear assessments and replace items before they break. It’s a lot cheaper to pay for upkeep than it is to pay for medical bills or a lawsuit!
What to Do If a Client Gets an Injury
In the event a client does get hurt, follow your facility’s action plan, or follow the standard practices associated with your first aid and/or CPR training. Always know where your facility’s first aid kit and AED are located.
If a serious medical event occurs you may need to call 911 — it’s always safer to call than not.
The Importance of Liability Insurance for Fitness Professionals
Despite our best efforts to keep clients safe such as having them sign a waiver, accidents and claims do happen. Fitness instructor insurance is designed as a safety net that can help you pay for those costs if a client or student does get hurt.
A safe instructor is a proactive instructor. Get the protection you need today to cover the what-ifs of tomorrow.
FAQs
Can Strength Training Prevent Injury?
Short answer: yes! Strength training helps increase bone density, muscular strength, and connective tissue strength — all of which contribute to better stability and movement patterns to help stave off injury.
Does Stretching Help Prevent Injury?
Research on stretching is mixed. The real benefits of stretching involve improved flexibility, which can help improve range of motion, which can help with injury prevention.
What Are Signs of Overtraining?
Overtraining symptoms can be both physical and mental. They can include things like muscle pain, unexpected weight loss or gain, anxiety, trouble sleeping, loss of motivation, and getting sick more often.
How Often Should Fitness Routines be Changed to Avoid Overuse Injuries (and Plateaus)?
The generally cited periodization principle suggests keeping to a consistent set of routines for about 8–12 weeks.
Chelsea Ramsey | Copywriter
Ohio-based copywriter Chelsea Ramsey leverages her experiences as an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer, a role-playing game writer, and a former auto claims adjuster. She holds a bachelor’s in English from Ohio State University and a TEFL certification from Oxford Seminars. Before working at Veracity, Chelsea wrote for Zulily and trained with clients at her local community center. Fully trained on Insurance Canopy’s coverage, she now writes to assist fitness professionals and entertainers in finding their ideal insurance policies.
Ohio-based copywriter Chelsea Ramsey leverages her experiences as an American Council on Exercise (ACE) certified personal trainer, a role-playing game writer, and a former auto claims adjuster. She holds a bachelor’s in English from Ohio State University and a TEFL certification from Oxford Seminars. Before working at Veracity, Chelsea wrote for Zulily and trained with clients at her local community center. Fully trained on Insurance Canopy’s coverage, she now writes to assist fitness professionals and entertainers in finding their ideal insurance policies.
