Quick Answer: The most common beginner gym injuries — muscle strains, sprains, and tendonitis — happen when people skip warm-ups, use poor form, or increase intensity too quickly. Work with a certified trainer at a Texas Health Fitness Center to learn proper technique and prevent injury from day one.
Key Takeaways:
- 55% of workout injuries occur in the first 3 months of starting a new fitness routine
- Strains and sprains account for 60% of all gym-related injuries
- Always warm up for 5-10 minutes before exercise to prepare muscles and joints
- Increase workout intensity gradually — no more than 10% per week
- Stop immediately if you feel sharp pain (different from normal muscle fatigue)
- Visit a Texas Health Breeze Urgent Care for minor strains or Texas Health ER for severe injuries
Starting a new fitness routine in January is exciting — but it's also when most workout injuries happen. According to recent fitness industry data, 55% of all exercise-related injuries occur within the first three months of beginning a new workout program. The good news? Most of these injuries are completely preventable with the right approach.
"The hardest part about making a life-changing decision to adopt healthy habits is getting started," says Logan Collins, a certified personal trainer and fitness center coordinator at Texas Health Prosper. "Once you get into a routine, it becomes a part of everyday life."
What Are the Most Common Gym Injuries for Beginners?
Strains and sprains make up 60% of all gym injuries. These soft tissue injuries typically affect muscles, tendons, and ligaments, particularly in the shoulders, lower back, knees, and ankles.
Research shows that 45% of gym injuries are caused by overloading — trying to lift too much weight or doing too many repetitions before your body is ready. When you're starting out, your muscles, tendons, and joints need time to adapt to new stress.
The 6 Biggest Mistakes That Cause Beginner Gym Injuries
1. Skipping the Warm-Up
Walking straight to the weights or jumping on the treadmill at full speed is a recipe for injury. Cold muscles are stiff and more prone to tears and strains.
What to do instead: Spend 5-10 minutes doing light cardio (walking, easy cycling) and dynamic stretches before your workout. This increases blood flow to your muscles and prepares your joints for movement, according to the American Council on Exercise.
2. Using Poor Form
"Flexibility is often overlooked and always underestimated when it comes to overall health," says Collins, who learned this firsthand after numerous muscle and tendon tears that required surgery early in his fitness career.
Poor form puts unnecessary stress on joints and can cause muscle imbalances over time. This is especially common with exercises like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses.
What to do instead: "If you've never really exercised before, I strongly suggest consulting with a personal trainer to ensure you have a plan in place and minimize the chance of injuring yourself," Collins explains.
Consider working with a trainer at a Texas Health Fitness Center for your first few sessions. Learning proper form from the start is much easier than correcting bad habits later. Texas Health fitness center staff can explain and demonstrate proper equipment use and exercise technique, giving you the foundation you need for safe workouts.
3. Doing Too Much Too Soon
It's tempting to dive into intense workouts when you're motivated, but sudden increases in training volume are one of the leading causes of overuse injuries like tendonitis and stress fractures.
The "10% rule" is a helpful guideline: don't increase your workout volume (weight, distance, or repetitions) by more than 10% per week.
What to do instead: Start conservatively.
"My best bit of advice for those looking to adopt a healthy lifestyle is patience," Collins says. "It took a while for your health to get where it is, and it will take a while to mend it."
If you can only do three sets of an exercise, don't jump to six sets next week. Build gradually and let your body adapt.
4. Ignoring Pain
There's a difference between muscle fatigue (that burning sensation during exercise) and pain that signals injury. Sharp, shooting, or persistent pain is your body's warning system.
Normal muscle soreness (called DOMS — delayed onset muscle soreness) typically appears 24-48 hours after a workout and feels like a dull ache. Injury pain is usually sharp, happens during the exercise, and doesn't improve with rest.
What to do instead: Stop exercising immediately if you feel sharp pain. Ice the area and rest for a few days. If pain persists beyond 48 hours or worsens, visit a Texas Health Breeze Urgent Care location.
5. Not Fueling Your Body Properly
Exercising without proper nutrition is like trying to drive a car on an empty tank. Your muscles need fuel (carbohydrates) and building blocks (protein) to perform well and recover.
Working out on an empty stomach or skipping post-workout meals can lead to fatigue, poor performance, and increased injury risk.
What to do instead: Eat a balanced meal with protein and carbohydrates 2-3 hours before working out, or have a small snack 30-60 minutes before exercise. After your workout, refuel within two hours.
Learn more about the best times (and snacks) to eat for optimal workout performance.
6. Wearing the Wrong Shoes
Worn-out sneakers or shoes designed for a different activity don't provide adequate support, increasing your risk of ankle sprains, shin splints, and knee injuries.
What to do instead: Replace athletic shoes every 300-500 miles of use, or every 6-12 months if you work out regularly. Choose shoes designed for your specific activity (running shoes for running, cross-trainers for gym workouts).
When Should I See a Doctor for a Workout Injury?
Visit a Texas Health Breeze Urgent Care if you experience:
- Persistent pain that doesn't improve with rest after 48 hours
- Swelling that worsens or doesn't decrease after 2-3 days
- Limited range of motion in a joint
- Difficulty bearing weight on an injured limb
- Muscle pain that interferes with daily activities
Go to a Texas Health emergency room if you have:
- Severe pain or inability to move the injured area
- Visible deformity or misalignment of a joint
- Numbness or tingling below the injury site
- Signs of a fracture (heard a "pop" or "snap," severe swelling, can't put weight on the limb)
Find your nearest Texas Health location
Starting Your Fitness Journey Safely in Dallas-Fort Worth
If you're new to working out and want professional guidance, Texas Health Fitness Centers throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area offer personal training, group fitness classes, and injury prevention consultations.
Collins has seen firsthand the transformative power of proper guidance.
"I can guarantee that the simple addition of walking 15 to 20 minutes a few times per week can have an incredible impact on a person's health," he says. "I have personally seen a number of people end up coming off all blood pressure, cholesterol and type 2 diabetes medicine for good within a year of adopting healthier lifestyle habits."
Texas Health's team of certified personal trainers can create customized workout plans that match your current fitness level and help you progress safely, without the common beginner mistakes that lead to injury.
"Don't be afraid of failure because we all make mistakes and they are great learning opportunities," Collins adds. "If you mess up along the way, it's just a bump in the road so don't let it completely derail you."
Bottom Line
Starting a new workout routine doesn't have to mean accepting injury as inevitable. By warming up properly, focusing on form over weight, progressing gradually, and listening to your body's warning signals, you can build strength and fitness safely.
As Collins puts it: "You should always schedule your life around your health, not your health around your life!"
Remember: the goal isn't to see how hard you can push yourself in week one — it's to create sustainable habits that keep you active for years to come.
Sources:
- Gitnux. (2025). Gym Injuries Statistics 2025.
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. Exercise Selection and Common Injuries.
- American Council on Exercise. (2024). Injury Prevention for New Exercisers.
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. (2024). Sports Injuries.
- Mayo Clinic. (2024). https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/fitness/art-20045099