Workouts can backfire due to exercise missteps

It’s a Catch-22. You work out to get healthy, but then you injure yourself in the process.

John Vigil, chiropractor with A Touch Above Chiropractic, 6053 S. Fort Apache Road, Suite 100, said as many as 95 percent of his clients come in because of sports-related injuries.

“The worst we see here is, especially with new people working out, is the classic sprain/strain stuff,” he said. “If we’re talking shoulders, it could be they pulled something; it could be a rotator cuff. That’s the most common because they’re trying the overhead press … The problem is, in this day and age, we lack mobility because we’re a sitting-dominated society. We sit in our cars, at our desks; we go home and sit; we sit everywhere.”

Using free weights can pose stability issues because of “people not being able to gauge the proper plane that the joints need to move in for that particular exercise,” Vigil said.

He also sees people with cross-training injuries.

“It’s just too fast, too much,” he said. “The body can’t adapt to the amount of stress they’re putting their body under. That becomes more of a chronic strain issue. … The problem that got you into the gym didn’t happen overnight, so you can’t undo it overnight.”

Vigil estimated that 70 percent to 75 percent of people at a gym exercise incorrectly and said asking a trainer for guidance is wise.

“So it’s not just, ‘monkey see, monkey do.’ Because, what if the monkey is doing it wrong?” Vigil said.

Mike Plum, a physical therapist with Matt Smith Physical Therapy, which has locations around the valley, said he sees various clients with cross-training injuries.

“We see a lot of shoulder impingement, rotator cuff, back issues, a lot of back pain, patella femoral pain syndrome (knee) and also what’s called tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow,” he said.

Demary Toledo is the owner of This is CrossFit, 7575 W. Sunset Road, Suite 130. Toledo, 43, got into exercising at age 38 and lost 80 pounds. She is now a trainer with about 100 clients.

Trainers are “taught proper movement, what to look for and how to teach it correctly,” she said.

One of the exercises where the wrong technique is used is the squat, Toledo said, adding that those who do that form of exercise must keep a neutral lumbar to ensure that the hips are below knee level and weight is kept on the heels when in the squat position. As an instructor, she keeps an eye out for signs of strain in clients.

“If they’re wincing, then it’s important for you (as the instructor) to say, ‘OK, let’s lower the weight.’ Or ask how they’re doing, how they’re breathing,” Toledo said.

Sports that include chronic use of a muscle or joint or those that have repetitive high-velocity movements tend to cause the most injuries, Plum said.

He said people will compensate when working out by arching their back or yanking with their shoulders to do an exercise. Plum said lifts and squats could be stressful as “some of these people are not 20 or 30 years old. … the biggest problem is people feel they have to push though pain.”

Molly Sheridan, 58, decided to start running marathons 10 years ago. Since then, she has competed in 60 ultra marathons that include 50-plus miles, including ones in the Himalayas. Sheridan said injuries common to new runners are shin splints and knee and hip issues.

“A lot of it is just the body adjusting,” she said. “Your hips are rotated or not properly aligned. There are really simple exercises you can do to correct that.”

She said one of the worst surfaces for running is cement, and “asphalt is much more (forgiving).”

People can even injure themselves by how they do other tasks. Personal trainer Justin Price, owner of The BioMechanics Method, a fitness facility in San Diego, said poor posture during the day weakens the musculoskeletal structure. The remedy: Ensure your computer screen is positioned so you’re not straining or hunching to see it.

To reach Summerlin Area View reporter Jan Hogan, email jhogan@viewnews.com or call 702-387-2949.