Gym injuries happen to guys all the time, and in a lot of instances, they’re down to your own personal negligence. Improper form is always a top cause of injuries, but whose fault is that? The blame falls on you for not learning how to correctly bench press or squat! Likewise, people who incorrectly use machines or push themselves too far can’t blame anyone but themselves for a gym injury. Listen, you thought you’d massage your ego by adding an extra 20lbs to the bar, but you couldn’t handle the weight and tore a muscle. You wanted to impress that blonde woman on the treadmill next to you by turning up the speed, so don’t blame anyone when you fly off and hurt yourself. 

The point is, when you get injured in the gym, you often have yourself to blame. However, is it possible to sustain an injury and it not be your fault? Well…yes, it is. In fact, these injuries can be common, yet you don’t point the blame because you feel as though it was your own fault anyway. Here are some examples of when you can be injured at the gym and it isn’t your fault:

Broken/Damaged Equipment

If you go to use a machine in the gym, and you get injured because it breaks or is broken, then it’s not necessarily your fault. Provided you used it correctly, it will be the gym owner’s fault for not conducting the necessary maintenance checks. They have a duty of care to members to ensure that there’s a safe exercise environment at all times. Allowing a machine to break will be considered negligence and could put you in a position to sue. 

Trip, Slip & Fall Injuries

Naturally, any type of slip & fall injury will typically be put down as an accident. In fact, when you look at the chances of suffering an injury, these types of accidents are typically right up there as the number one causes. Gyms can end up with lots of moisture everywhere – either from sweat or water fountains – meaning there are chances to slip all the time. Even worse, equipment that’s left on the gym floor and not cleared away can lead to people tripping over and hurting themselves. This is one of those times where you don’t think anyone else is to blame, but it’s actually the gym’s fault if you trip over someone else’s equipment. The gym instructors should keep the floor clean at all times!

A Lack Of Signage

Both of the above instances are made worse when the gym doesn’t have any appropriate signage warning members of possible dangers. If the floor is wet and yet to be cleaned, there need to be wet floor signs alerting people. If a machine isn’t working, signs need to be placed on it to tell people not to use it. When no signs are present, and you get injured as a result, it is definitely the gym’s fault. 

Nobody likes getting injured in the gym, which is why it’s important to be aware of some of the dangers that are out of your control. Being aware of them – in conjunction with being sensible and practicing proper form – will help you avoid any serious injuries that lead to big medical bills and months out of action.