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The Most Common Workout Injuries (And Why You're Experiencing Them)

2nd December 2021

Fitness Health

2nd December 2021

By Shivraj Bassi

Ouch! Is that a twinge in your ankle, a pain in your knee and an ache in your elbow? Not again...

Your body is a precious resource, and you don't want to unknowingly injure yourself during your workout. That's why we're here, and that's probably why you're reading this article right now, correct? Thought so.

While a busted knee from a hard workout might feel like it gives your bragging rights, it's not cool to injure yourself because you're working out too hard. Learn how to push your body safely with our guide to finding your limits without hurting yourself.

Why do we sustain common workout injuries? 

Most sports injuries are from overuse and can become chronic. Although it may seem as though injuries are simply part and parcel of working out regularly, this is not true and most are completely preventable. If you’re keen to train but don’t want to have to worry about injury setbacks, check out these five common causes of injury and make sure avoid, avoid, avoid.

Experiencing common workout injuries and want to know how to avoid them? Here we've pulled together some of the most common workout injuries and our tips for injury prevention. 

The most common workout injuries: revealed 

Let's not beat around the bush: here's the list you've been looking for...

  • The dreaded shin splints 
  • Sprained ankle(s)
  • Pulled muscle
  • Wrist sprain 
  • Knee injuries 
  • Shoulder injuries 
  • Tendinitis

So, now you know what you're potentially in for (if you haven't yet sustained one of these common workout injuries), fingers crossed you don't become victim to one of these potentially painful conundrums. If you're in the unfortunate position of already having one of these troublesome injuries, read on... you're going to need to work out why you've sustained this injury to ensure it doesn't happen again. 

1. You're pushing too hard

Don't walk before you can run (in some cases, this is literal advice). It's important to not increase the intensity of your workouts too much too soon, and to make sure that you know your limits.

You should always feel in control. If you’re running, don’t add more than 10% per week in time or distance and if you're weight training, increase weights gradually, at a consistent pace.

2. You're not warming up properly

Slow and steady wins the race. Kicking a workout off at 100% effort will lead to burnout and muscle injury. Start off with some static stretching and build up to gentle movements to keep your muscles flexible and prevent strains. Not only will your body be gradually alerted to the change of state and respond accordingly, but you'll be able to go for much longer.

3. You're wearing the wrong gear

Does the phrase 'all the gear, but no idea' ring a bell at all?

Whilst we're sure you know what you're doing, we want to make one thing clear. Wear good shoes, not just ones that look good. Choose trainers or sports shoes that suit your needs and can give you some support and protection.

If you're not sure, you could always ask in a sports shop for help if you aren’t sure - and don't just buy those trendy shoes that all the influencers are wearing because they match your leggings. Or, if you're into running, you could (and should) check out our nifty guide on Our Five Top Tips To Selecting The Best Running Trainer For You. Always here to help!

4. You're not giving yourself time to recover

Always end your workout with some stretches to warm down, and take rest days to give yourself time to fully recover. Rest allows your muscles to build so you can keep working hard. Your muscles are supposed to be sore after a workout, and it's okay to work out again when they feel like this, but don't overdo it. If something feels wrong, lay off until you have properly recovered. Use a foam roller on sore or tight muscles.

Support your recovery with the right nutrition - get plenty of protein and ensure you're hitting your daily recommendations of vitamins. Check out The Recover Capsules to guarantee that you're getting the minerals and vitamins needed for healthy recovery.

5. You're not mixing it up (enough) 

Vary your training. Incorporate strength training as well as cardio into your workout routine. Adding two resistance sessions per week can help to increase strength and prevent injuries.

Weight training is also a great way to tone up and burn fat. Work out on different surfaces such as grass or sand as well as at the gym, and focus on doing a wide variety of different exercises. This will challenge your muscles while preventing overuse. 

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Why Natural Protein Supplementation Matters

Why Natural Protein Supplementation Matters

Walk into any health shop, or scroll any supplement site, and you often find that protein powders start to blur into one. Almost all of them make the same promises on the front: ‘high in protein’, ‘no added sugar’, ‘no additional additives’. The wording is so similar that telling a genuinely good product from a synthetically produced product is harder than it should be. Read past the figure on the front however and you'll usually find a protein that contains artificial sweeteners, synthetic flavourings and colours, and even fillers or bulking agents just to name a few. The reason they tend to do this is that costs of production are much cheaper as a result of the lower quality ingredients. A naturally formulated protein supplement works the other way around. The protein comes from a quality source, the flavour and sweetness come from ingredients you'd recognise rather than ones built in a lab, and anything that doesn't need to be there is left out. 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The real test is whether the formula makes sense as a whole. Can you understand what's in it? Does each ingredient have a clear purpose? And does the brand explain the benefit plainly, rather than hiding behind vague wellness language? Why ingredient quality matters in protein supplements When people compare protein powders, the first thing they often look at is the amount of protein per serving. It matters, but this number doesn’t tell you everything about a supplement’s quality. A synthetically formulated powder may contain just as much protein per serving as a natural alternative, but it may also include more artificial additives that are bad for your health.  This is especially important as supplementation is usually taken regularly as part of a daily routine. If something becomes part of your breakfast, post-workout routine or afternoon shake, the quality of the overall formula may influence how well it fits into your daily routine. Natural protein powders are often separated by a few key criteria: Ingredient sourcing: Whey is highly bioavailable and naturally rich in essential amino acids that support muscle repair. A good plant-based blend can also be effective when it is built to provide a strong amino acid profile. What surrounds the protein: Sweeteners, thickeners and flavourings affect taste, texture and how a shake feels once you have taken it. Some formulas rely heavily on artificial sweeteners, gums or thickeners, which may contribute to bloating or digestive discomfort. Digestibility: A protein you absorb and tolerate comfortably is more useful than a bigger number on the label that does not sit well with your body. Purpose: A formula built around a specific goal, such as strength, performance, energy or satiety, is more useful than a generic powder with no clear reason behind the ingredients. 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A natural protein supplement offers a convenient way to support recovery without making nutrition feel complicated, whether mixed into a shake, smoothie or simple post-workout snack. Supporting satiety and body composition goals Protein keeps you feeling fuller for longer, which makes balanced eating easier to stick to.  For anyone working towards fat loss, lean muscle or general body composition, natural protein supplementation helps steady your daily nutrition alongside whole foods, movement and rest, without relying on the added sugar that some cheaper formulas contain. Making daily nutrition easier Even with good intentions, it is not always easy to get enough protein through meals alone. Busy days, training schedules and travel can all make consistency harder.  A natural protein gives you a simple, repeatable way to keep your intake up on the days that get away from you, using ingredients you can actually recognise. Natural supplementation doesn't have to taste bland There's a common assumption that natural supplements have to taste bland, chalky or unpleasant. Plenty of people have met exactly that: a protein that sounds healthy on paper but turns out too earthy, too sweet or too gritty to enjoy. It gets used for a few days, then pushed to the back of the cupboard. The problem there is usually the formulation, not the missing additives. Chalky, overly sweet shakes come from corners being cut. Getting flavour and texture right without falling back on heavy sweeteners is genuinely hard, which is a good sign a brand has done the work. Taste matters for a practical reason as much as an enjoyable one. A protein you look forward to is one you'll keep using, and consistency is what actually delivers results. The best-formulated supplement on the shelf does nothing while it sits unopened. The innermost approach to natural protein Everything above is the standard we at Innermost hold ourselves to. Our proteins are built on clean and naturally-derived ingredients, formulated with the backing of nutritional science rather than guesswork. We leave out the fillers, bulking agents and needless extras that have no business being in a quality protein, and we're open about what goes in and why. We also happen to think clean and natural should taste good, because a protein you enjoy is a protein you'll actually use.  Explore our protein powders to find the formula that best fits your goals, routine and lifestyle. References Morton, W., Murphy, T., et al (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 52(6). Click here. Jäger, R., Kerksick, C., et al (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. Click here. Seijo, M., Naclerio, F. (2019). Whey Protein Supplementation and Muscle Mass: Current Perspectives. Click here.
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The Protein Mistake That's Holding Back Your Results

The Protein Mistake That's Holding Back Your Results

I've written at length about creatine. I've written about collagen, electrolytes, the GLP-1 moment, even the science of sleep. But I've never written a personal email about protein. That's a strange omission for someone who built a brand that makes some pretty ground-breaking protein powders. So let me explain why, and then actually say the thing I've been avoiding. Protein is the most foundational supplement in the Innermost range. It's also the hardest subject for me to write about personally, because there's nothing surprising about it. Creatine had a story. Collagen had a story. Protein is well... protein. Everyone knows you should eat more of it. The mechanism is not a secret. Muscle protein synthesis, leucine threshold, net nitrogen balance. If you've been in the fitness space for more than a couple of years, you've read this before. And I think that's the problem. The familiarity makes people stop paying attention. Here's what I actually think about protein, after a decade of working in this space. Most people in their thirties and forties are under-consuming protein and don't know it. Not by a small amount. The gap between what most people eat and what the research supports for muscle maintenance and body composition outcomes is significant. Studies looking at optimal intake for adults prioritising body composition consistently point to between 1.6 and 2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day. Most people are eating somewhere between 0.8 and 1.2. The difference is not cosmetic. Adequate protein intake directly affects your ability to preserve muscle tissue during a caloric deficit. It supports recovery between sessions. It has a measurable effect on satiety, which means it influences total caloric intake downstream, not just at the point you consume it. There's a subtler point too, and this is the one I've come to think matters most: protein is the nutrient where consistency compounds most directly. The benefits of creatine saturate over time in a relatively predictable way. Collagen has a timeline that research measures in months. But protein's effect on body composition is essentially continuous. Every day you hit your target, you preserve something. Every day you don't, you lose a small amount of ground. Over a summer, that adds up. This is what I've observed personally, and it's backed by the research on muscle protein turnover. The people who maintain their body composition through summer are not, in my experience, the people who train harder during that period. Most of them train less. Their routines are disrupted. They're travelling. Their eating is less structured. The people who come back in September looking broadly the same as they left in June are the ones who kept their protein intake consistent. That's it. That's the variable. Why I take The Lean Protein I’ve been taking The Lean Protein the past few months for a straightforward reason: the protein-to-calorie ratio. Much like our other protein blends, each serving delivers over 30 grams of protein. The calorie count is low relative to that protein yield. When my training is consistent and my eating is structured, I don't think about this very much. But in the periods when those things are less reliable, that ratio becomes the thing that holds the rest together. The formula also includes acetyl-L-carnitine, inulin, pomegranate extract, and yerba mate. These aren't afterthoughts. Acetyl-L-carnitine has a research base in fat metabolism. Inulin supports satiety and gut function. The pomegranate extract is included for its antioxidant contribution to recovery. This means that the formula does more work per serving than a standard whey and just what I need going into summer. The thing the industry gets wrong about protein Most protein marketing leads with taste and price per gram. Both matter. But neither tells you whether the formula will support body composition outcomes over time. The two questions I'd ask before buying any protein powder are: what is the actual protein-to-calorie ratio, and what is the leucine content per serving.  Leucine is the branched-chain amino acid most directly linked to triggering muscle protein synthesis, and there is a threshold dose, roughly 2.5 to 3 grams per serving, below which the anabolic response is blunted. Many protein powders do not disclose this. They just list total protein and move on. The Lean Protein does not have this problem. The formula is transparent. The dose is evidence-based. One thing I'd ask you to consider: if you've never actually checked whether you're hitting your protein targets, try tracking it for three days. Most people find the gap is larger than they expected. If you're not sure which Innermost product fits your specific goal, the quiz on our site is a good place to start. Find the right protein for your goal  
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