Weightlifting Safety

Weightlifting is an excellent way to strengthen your musculoskeletal system. As a certified sports physician and chiropractor, ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge’s own Dr. Carmelino Caratozzolo has overseen many athletes and patients using weightlifting as a way to maintain their muscle tone, as well as the density of their bones. When done properly, weightlifting allows the muscles to support a person’s spine and joints and makes them more resilient to injury. But weightlifting needs to be done correctly for maximal benefit and to avoid accidents, and while we recommend that everybody considering it get a personal trainer, there are some general safety tips to keep in mind.

 

Anytime you work out, you should start with a warm-up of at least five minutes of aerobic exercise. These may include dynamic stretches, but not ones you do while holding a muscle still. You’ll also need to do at least five minutes of cooldown exercises at the end of the workout. It’s important to build strength throughout your body and to avoid overuse, so work each set of muscles twice a week, no more, and don’t work the same set two days in a row. You’ll also need to have someone else present when you lift heavy weights, although you’ll be working your way up to those gradually.

 

A fitness instructor will help you to determine your goals and the proper form for each lift, and sticking to that will keep your workouts efficient as well as safe. But for each lift, you need to avoid turning your head and keep your back as straight as possible. Inhale as you lower a weight, and exhale as you lift or press. Stop doing anything that hurts, and come to our office if you experience back or neck pain. Weightlifting is part of a healthy lifestyle, but like any form of exercise, comes with risks that can be mitigated by following gym and trainer rules.

 

For assistance with workout recoveries and relief from joint and back pain, visit Dr. Carmelino Caratozzolo at the ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.