Most Common CrossFit Injuries and How to Prevent Them

Alt-tag: A man during CrossFit training.

Since it became a thing in the fitness world, CrossFit has only grown in popularity. And it’s been a fun journey — from humble beginnings in Santa Cruz, CA, all the way to the badge of the world-recognized sport. CrossFit gyms are opening up everywhere, but as more and more people practice it, more and more injuries occur. So if you’re thinking about giving it a shot or are already doing it, you should learn more about the most common CrossFit injuries and how to prevent them. And that’s what we’re here to talk about today, so let’s dive right in.

Wrist Strain

Wrist injuries are one of the most common types of injuries in CrossFit. And if you think about it, it’s not hard to figure out why. As we all know from the CrossFit Open games, there’s a lot of weight lifting involved, and pretty much everything else will require some wrist action.

For example, while doing exercises like clean and press, you’re putting a lot of stress on your wrists. And keep in mind, your wrists are more fragile than you may think. So, if you push them hard often, they may give you up at one point.

To avoid getting injured, be sure to warm up and stretch before every workout. And if you want to take it a step further, you can wrap your wrists and secure them even more that way. Also, work on your grip strength whenever you get a chance.

Wrist strains are by far the most common CrossFit injuries.

Alt-tag: A man holding a KB.

Lower Back Strain

While weight lifting is a big part of it, there’s plenty of jumping, bending, lifting, and flipping going on in CrossFit as well. All these actions put a lot of stress on your body, especially when you pair them with weights. If you’re not careful enough, you might end up with an injury to the lower back.

If you ever feel pain or pressure in your lower back, stop your training right away. A back injury isn’t something to play with, and you should talk to a doctor or trainer before you continue.

When it comes to the causes of these injuries, bad form is the number one culprit. So if you don’t feel confident that you know what you do while lifting a lot of weight, better pause it for now. And the same goes for deadlifts. Always have a CrossFit trainer around when doing those kinds of exercises.

Again, you have to stretch to keep yourself safe and your back intact. However, don’t focus only on the back muscles. You want to activate the surrounding ones as well. Here’s a shortlist of all the muscles you want to hit while warming up:

• Upper back
• Glutes
• Hamstrings
• Calves

Tennis Elbow

Although it has nothing to do with rackets, CrossFit still makes you use your elbows quite a bit. And that’s a good thing; however, people often forget about elbows when they start lifting and bending, thus putting them at risk.

When you overuse your elbows, you put a lot of tension on your tendons and ligaments. And if you keep it up for a long time, you’ll end up with a tennis elbow. It’s one of the most common CrossFit injuries, but it doesn’t necessarily come with pain. So, you have to keep it in mind and be cautious about it.

The best way to avoid getting injured is to switch it up and find new ideas for your routine now and then. Luckily, CrossFit is a sport full of variety, so it shouldn’t be hard to find something else you’ll find fun.

Even if you won’t be hitting a ball with a racket, tennis elbow is common in CrossFit.

Alt-tag: A man holding a ball and thinking about the most common CrossFit injuries.

Knee Pain

If you’re not careful in a CrossFit gym, it’s very easy to hurt your knees. Knee pain is common, so most people just dismiss it and continue with their days even when they feel it. You don’t want to be one of those people because it can signal that a more severe injury is right around the corner.

If your knees hurt, avoid all the exercises that put a lot of pressure and impact your knees. Of course, if it’s only a slight pain we’re talking about here, you don’t have to be that radical. Still, you want to ice your knees, reduce the activity, and stretch whenever you can. If they start swelling, don’t hesitate and go right to the doctor’s office.

Shoulder Injuries

If you’ve ever attended CrossFit training, learning those shoulder injuries are common shouldn’t surprise you. Whether you’re working out your arms, chest, or back, you’ll need to use your rotator cuff. It’s a ball-and-socket joint, so there’s a lot of wear and tear happening here.

It might seem like there’s not much you can do about preventing this problem, but as a matter of fact, you can do a lot. Propper nutrition is an excellent place to start. Eat as much leafy green vegetables like broccoli and lettuce as you can, but don’t stay away from walnuts and pecans either. On top of that, strengthen the muscles that support the rotator cuff, and you’ll be just fine.

Achilles Tendonitis

As you could figure out from its name, Achilles tendonitis is an injury involving your heel and tendon attached to it. To be more precise, it’s the tendon connecting your heel to your calf muscle. If you put a lot of pressure on it and push it too far, you’ll get pain, swelling, and stiffness in return.

But even if you had problems with it in the past, you can do CrossFit if you get proper footwear, stretch your ankles, and visit your doctor once a month. You’ll still get all the benefits of the sport, but you just have to be a bit more cautious about your body.

It’s not easy to push your Achilles tendon too far, but it isn’t pleasant if you manage to do it. Alt-tag: Woman doing push-ups.

Conclusion

CrossFit is a great sport, and it can help you improve your health. However, it’s also intense, and if you’re going to do it, you need to be aware of all the risks it brings with it. Learning more about the most common CrossFit injuries and how to prevent them will undoubtedly help you stay safe. So pick a good trainer, find your pace, and enjoy it.

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