Why Resistance Training (“Lifting”) is NOT DANGEROUS
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Have you ever lifted hundreds of pounds overhead repeatedly until your arms were ready to collapse?
This sounds like a dangerous thing to do. Last we checked, there are important things in our heads – and hundreds of pounds is definitely enough weight to crush it like a walnut. Or maybe a watermelon? Yeah, that’s probably the better analogy in this case.
So, with putting ourselves in such a precarious position; is #resistancetraining really a safe thing to do?
From the outside looking in, #resistancetraining or “lifting” may seem like a dangerous activity. No other sport or hobby involves loading up your body with hundreds of pounds and then moving in compromising ways. As with all sports and training, there is an inherent degree of risk with #resistancetraining. But how often do these injuries occur?
Despite the visually intimidating nature of lifting weight, the rate of #injury for resistance trainers is actually very, very low.
Injuries rates are highest in team sports such as soccer, where for every 1000 hours of participation, we are looking at up to 35 injuries. #injury rates are moderate in things like running & other aerobic #exercise, where we are looking at 18 injuries for every 1000 hours of participation. For activity including cycling, walking & #resistancetraining, the #injury rates are only 4 for every 1000 hours. When we compare #resistancetraining to soccer or other activities, it's looking like one of the safest options available.
Ofcourse, injuries DO still happen. This should be obvious, given that there is literally risk of #injury in doing literally nothing at all. A #study compared groups of sedentary individuals both given an #exercise routine & not given any sort of routine (this was the control group).
The #study lasted for 12 months. During the follow-up, the rate of reported #injury was found to be identical between the #exercise & non-#exercise group. As well, the #exercise group reported less #pains than the non-#exercise group. Therefore, moderate-to-vigorous #exercise when done properly, is about as dangerous as sitting on your couch.
We can follow this train of thought further, looking into the well-known outcomes of a sedentary lifestyle. No activity leads to an increase in all-cause mortality (cardiovascular risk, development of cancer risk), increased metabolic disease rates (hypertension & diabetes mellitus) & also increased musculoskeletal complaints including back, shoulder & knee #pain. It’s interesting to see how a sedentary lifestyle is actually associated with musculoskeletal complaints that people would usually associated with weight training! Given the negative outcomes of a sedentary lifestyle, it could actually be argued that #resistancetraining or “lifting” is safer than not #resistancetraining.
Ofcourse, proper education around #resistancetraining is to thank for these low-reported rate of #injury. It’s easy to injure yourself in any activity, if you are doing it completely wrong. The obvious answer then is to learn.
One of the best tips I can offer is if you or someone you know is looking to get into #resistancetraining, know that you/they are getting into a hobby that is known for having one of the lowest rates of #injury out of all sports. As well, #resistancetraining in itself is a form of #exercise that helps to decrease all of the risks of a sedentary lifestyle.
If you are getting into weightlifting for the first time, you may be self-taught through videos you find on YouTube & observing others in the gym. Getting both your form & your workout plan checked by somebody who is experienced in the field (Certified Strength & Condition Specialist, Physiotherapist, Evidence-based Chiro) may greatly help you in ways you may not think that they could. If you are looking into getting a personal trainer, be wise in your decision as anybody is able to refer to themselves as a ‘Personal Trainer’ without having any kind of real experience in #exercise science. Stay away from large corporate gyms who hire anybody, and instead looking to personal referrals, google reviews, and levels of education.
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