{"id":19948,"date":"2022-11-02T15:56:20","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T20:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=19948"},"modified":"2023-03-20T12:17:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T17:17:20","slug":"i-got-injured-at-the-gym-so-you-dont-have-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/patient-stories\/i-got-injured-at-the-gym-so-you-dont-have-to\/","title":{"rendered":"I Got Injured at the Gym So You Don\u2019t Have To"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve played sports since I was 12, when my favorite thing in the world was slinging softballs at evening ball games. As I\u2019ve aged, I\u2019ve fallen in love with other types of movement, like hot yoga, running and basketball. Not only does exercise get my heart pumping, but it helps me clear my head.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t true for everyone, although lots of us are trying to fit more movement into our lives. Only <\/span>23 percent of Americans<\/span><\/a> meet the federal government\u2019s fitness guidelines. <\/span>Some experts say there\u2019s <\/span>more room<\/span><\/a> for the fitness industry to educate beginners, who are just learning how to exercise in the right ways. Navigating the gym and all its machinery can be confusing and intimidating. In 2021, exercising at the gym with equipment accounted for <\/span>just over 409,000 injuries<\/span><\/a> in the US. The majority of these injuries happened in people age 25 to 64.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This year, I began dabbling in more intense strength training, and the gaps in my exercise knowledge showed. While lifting heavy weights, squatting and deadlifting barbells, I managed to get a dreaded knee injury.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During my recovery process, I learned three major pieces of advice about preventive care, especially how and where to get help if you suspect you\u2019ve injured yourself during\u00a0 exercise. Drop your sweatband, ditch your pre-workout and read this before<\/em> you try to crush your personal record.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

1. Know the signs of an injury.<\/h2>\n

I began squatting last year on my own, without a personal trainer. As I added weight to the barbell, my knee hurt when I bent my left leg. I ignored it. Then, one day last spring, I decided to try CrossFit. In the class, I squatted, as usual \u2014 woke up the next day unable to walk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I booked the <\/span>earliest appointment<\/span><\/a> I could find with a physical therapist. I found I had a <\/span>medial meniscus tear<\/span><\/a>, a very common knee injury. The meniscus is the cartilage in your knee that acts as a buffer between your shin and thigh bones. Around <\/span>10 percent of people<\/span><\/a> tear it in their lifetime. It usually happens with age, as you wear your cartilage down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meniscus irritation is fairly common in people who do activities like CrossFit. With more extreme physical activity, there\u2019s a fine line between normal discomfort and something worse.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re experiencing one of these issues, New York City physical therapist Joseph LaVacca advises that you head to the doctor:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n