Soft spots: some of the most injury-prone areas. Illustrations: Suman Choudhury

You?ve spent hours and hours in the gym, giving your best shot to your fitness routine. After months of self-discipline and healthy eating, your long-time goal of achieving massive quads ? or the perfect waistline for that matter ? is close to becoming a reality. And then, disaster strikes. You drop a five-kilo weight on your foot or strain your back while doing the butterfly. As a result, you have to bow out of the gym for a while ? and all your progress goes down the gutter.

Does this sound familiar? Broken bones, a wobbly ankle, tennis elbow and so on ? these are all the unpleasant results of gym-related ?mishaps?. ?We go to the gym to get fit or stay fit. But if you are pumping iron incorrectly, you will injure yourself. And it defeats the very purpose of exercising,? says Anu Berry, a young housewife who is currently recovering from a treadmill injury she sustained while working out at a gym-cum-health clinic in Alipore, Calcutta.

Berry?s case is not an exception. ?We come across a lot of clients who try to push themselves harder than they can manage. They have strange ? but not uncommon ? ideas that if they take more weights or jog faster, they will benefit more. There is a limit to how much load an individual?s system will accept and they should learn to take signals from their own bodies,? observes Mrinalini Mukherjee, a fitness professional of Solace, Calcutta.

While you can find reams and reams of material ? from the Internet, fitness mags or your friendly instructor ? on the kind of injuries one can sustain at the gym, let us quickly dwell on the most vulnerable areas:

Neck: A crick in the neck can lead to a stabbing pain that can last weeks, if not months. Most people tend to hurt their neck while doing abdominal crunches, when the chin is forced to curve into the chest. Many people also sustain a crick while looking sideways in the mirror while doing exercises, for example in one-arm rows.

Shoulders: These are perhaps most vulnerable of all ? simply because your chest, back and arm muscles all converge here. Most shoulder problems in the gym result from holding weights above shoulder level. Also, bringing the elbows very low while doing bench presses can cause a bad shoulder. It is particularly important for a friend or your instructor to observe your shoulder movements.

Elbows: The so-called tennis elbow does not happen to tennis players alone. It happens when someone grips the dumbbells or barbells too tightly. Any jerking or snapping movement of the arm is bound to hit the elbows. The arms should be moved in a controlled manner.

Lower back: Any rapid movement, especially an uncontrolled one, is a lower-back killer. If you slouch while exercising, your spine is bound to suffer. A number of accidents can happen to those who try to lift weights with their backs rounded and their legs straight. Even indoor cycling can be harmful.

Knees: If there is a history of knee problem, it is advisable to skip the treadmill or in borderline cases, keep the speed low. Knee problems are common to those with flat feet. In such cases, use arch supports. The wrong or even excessive use of the leg extension machine can give birth to or aggravate a bad knee problem. You must ensure that your knee joints are aligned with the pivot of the machine.

An ounce of prevention…

Survey your area of exercising carefully. Don’t let anyone stand too close — its can be dangerous for both of you.

Examine the equipment carefully. If the cable does not fit properly, let the gym management know. Don’t forget to warn others of the ‘fatigued’ cable.

Learn to listen to your body. If you can’t handle the weight, reduce it. And if you’re tired, just go home. You can work out another day.

In addition to getting enough sleep, it is important to give your muscles some rest. Working out daily can be really injurious.

A proper and gradual warm-up goes a long way in preventing injuries. It can consist of jogging or even brisk walking.

Pay special attention to your footwear. If you skid on the treadmill due to slippery soles, you could be in for serious trouble. Your clothing should be able to absorb sweat, keeping you cool and dry.

Make sure your trainer is supervising you. Don’t stop consulting him/her once you get started on your regimen.

Have a routine physical check-up done regularly. It might reveal injuries that you might not be aware of.

How to spot an injury

• You might feel pain at a specific point in the bone, muscle or joint by pressing a finger into it. Try to locate the exact point of injury.

• If there is numbness or tingling, it could be the effect of nerve compression.

• If there is a swelling within a joint, you will lose range of motion; the limb will only go so far in each direction. Usually, swelling can be seen. But swelling inside will cause pain, stiffness or even a clicking sound as the tendons snap over one another because they have been pushed into a new position due to the swelling.

• In some cases of swelling and joint pains, compression is the most immediate treatment recommended.

• If you have any of the above warning signs, stop all activity and see the doctor immediately.

• Avoid applying heat to an injury.

• Get your regimen modified in order to root out the injurious link.