Debunking ‘No Pain, No Gain’: Avoiding Gym and Workout Injuries
The new year is upon us. And if your resolution was to get back in shape by hitting the gym or starting a new membership, go for it! But watch your step. The surge in gym attendance leads to a commensurate rise in injuries, and you don’t want to become a statistic. Let’s discuss how and why injuries occur, the role negligence plays and tips to ensure you can get fit safely.
Why Resolutions Are Loaded With Risk
Relevant data shows that gym injuries often peak during January and February, coinciding with New Year fitness resolutions, and in late summer or early fall when people prepare for the holiday season or outdoor activities. Overzealousness and unfamiliarity with the equipment are two key reasons for injuries. But negligence – on the part of the gym or your trainer – can also lead to injuries. Why?
Was The Gym Liable For Your Injury?
It is the gym owner’s responsibility to ensure that all of its equipment, rooms and facilities are clean, undamaged and updated.
Weightlifting equipment, treadmills and other exercise machines often cause injuries often due to improper use, lack of supervision, or equipment malfunction. For example:
- Treadmills can cause loss of balance, improper speed settings, or distraction while in use.
- Elliptical machines, similarly, can lead to incorrect posture, improper stride length, or using at excessive resistance.
- And using weight machines or free weights, such as dumbbells, can cause injury due to improper form, excessive weight, or mechanical failure.
Using defective, unsafe or obsolete equipment can lead to avoidable and catastrophic injuries, such as:
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Sprains,
- and trauma due to overexertion.
You have the right to ask the floor manager to see the most recent service date on any machine. And if equipment or a device seems off-kilter or faulty, step off/away from it and report it to the staff.
Additionally, if the gym is part of a franchise, the franchisor may also be liable. As recently discussed, franchises must carry liability insurance. If the franchisee is liable, their insurance will cover the claim. For franchisor-owned locations, the corporate entity’s insurance would typically handle any claims.
Was Your Trainer Negligent?
Even if your machines and equipment are in good working order, you could sustain an injury for other reasons, such as a slippery floor, cluttered areas and stations, or a negligent trainer.
All trainers should be licensed and put the safety and health of their clients above all else. But we frequently see trainers looking at their phones or talking with other patrons while clients are performing their sets and circuits. This level of negligence is unacceptable and can also lead to catastrophic injuries.
Lifting too heavy without your trainer, or with improper technique can lead to muscle strains – or worse – dropped weights causing fractures, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries or crush injuries. Make sure your trainer is paying attention to you at all times – and if they fail to do so, find a more attentive professional.
Trainers are typically employed (or allowed to operate by) the gym. So, an injury sustained during professional training could mean that the gym and the trainer are liable.
What To Do If Injured at a North Georgia or Chattanooga Gym
Being injured in a gym is similar to that of a car or pedestrian accident since there is an active scene and likely witnesses. If you are well enough and your phone is available to you, take pictures to establish the condition of the floor and area. Also, make note of the exercise you were performing, the machine or equipment, and any other external factors like crowding. If your fitness app was on, its data may also be useful.
And of course, see a doctor for a full medical evaluation.
If you are injured at a gym in thriving North Georgia cities like Woodstock or Cartersville or Chattanooga, Tennessee, your injury lawyer will be able to determine the defendants and the extent of their liability and help you file the most comprehensive claim to maximize compensation for an injury.
Zach Pritchard: Your North Georgia and Chattanooga Accident Lawyer
The start of a new year is typically filled with promise, which often coincides with New Year fitness resolutions. This can place additional stress on businesses that can lead to unsafe premises – particularly at gyms and franchise locations.
If you were injured while a customer or visitor of a gym, and/or under the supervision of a fitness trainer, our attorneys are here to help. The mission of Pritchard Injury Firm is to provide you and your family with the highest quality of legal help available and a professional, stress-free experience. Contact us today.