Fed up of my bingo wings, I recently joined the gym. To further incentivise myself to stick with it I spent a small fortune on kit that neatly skimmed my lumps and bumps, and cobbled together a rough workout plan from YouTube tutorials. I swerved the induction by fibbing to the receptionist as I stupidly thought it would call attention to my newbie status. Yet within about 15 minutes of being left to my own devices it was pretty clear I had all the gear and no idea.

I spent my entire first session on an exercise bike as I couldn’t even name some of the other equipment there let alone work out how to use it. Even then, I couldn’t monitor the distance I’d clocked up or calories burnt as I didn’t know how to reset the damn thing from the previous bum sat upon it.

It might have been a complete fail, but at least I didn’t bruise anything other than my ego. Lucky really, as a recent study conducted by Hayward Baker, suggests a whopping 47% of us Brits have suffered ‘gym-juries’ in our quest to get the perfect body. With ankle sprains being the most common reported injury, closely followed by resultant back problems, I suspect I’m especially high risk given the extra poundage I’m hauling around.

Despite the fact that some 45% of those surveyed are pessimistic about achieving their summer fitness goals, I’m determined to stick with it. I’ve 3 sessions under my belt now and am pretty sure I can score a healthy BMI by 2020 (slight exaggeration) if I force myself to turn up a few hours every week. Still, I am going to be a bit more careful. My ankles are a mess following numerous fractures, and I’m pretty sure if I get an injury it’ll squash all my motivation to go again.

So here’s a few tips from an amateur to help you avoid a gym-jury on your first trip to the gym:

DO an Induction

Regular gym-goers might make it all look easy, but if you haven’t put in many hours at a gym before, your induction is invaluable. In fact, you will find it beneficial to undertake an induction every time your switch gyms as the machines are very likely to vary from gym to gym. Far from looking like a wally, your fellow gym-goers will have seen a million inductions going on around them, and won’t be sizing you up on your first day.

If you’re unsure ASK

All reputable gyms will have instructors on hand to assist you with machines. If not, ask your fellow gym-goers if you need a little help. Don’t feel nervous about doing so, as it’s better to ask than plough on and risk coming a cropper.

Warm up before hitting the machines

Failure to warm properly accounts for a significant number of gym-based injuries. An effective 5-10 minute warm-up prepares the body for exercise by increasing the blood flow to your muscles, and lubricating your joints. This will reduce the chance of soft tissue (ligament, tendon and muscle) injuries by allowing them to move through a greater range of motions easily . It’ll also get your heart rate up safely, helping you avoid a rapid increase in blood pressure when you hit the machines.

Buddy up

Not only will having a gym buddy keep you motivated, they can also check your form to make sure you’re not putting undue pressure your body. Make sure you tell each other of any health concerns or aching muscles each time you head to the gym, so you can help hone each other’s workouts and stop each other burning out.

Stay hydrated

You bought that fancy water bottle for a reason, so use it. A good workout should get you all sweaty, and you’ll need to replenish lost water -especially if you consider you could lose up to a litre an hour. Failure to do so will likely make it far more difficult to control your body temperature, cause muscle cramps, dizziness, and other more serious health problems. Being dehydrated can also seriously affect your energy levels making your time spent at the gym less effective. Your muscle cells are almost three-quarters water so if you’re short on fluids, you’ll feel the strain. Drinking little and often will give you the best chance of hitting your exercise targets.

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Following these simple tips should help you avoid common gym-juries, however should you have an accident, check out Hayward Baker’s free-to-use injury compensation calculator. to get an idea of how much compensation you might be entitled to. If you’re stuck at home and unable to work off those indulgences for awhile, knowing you might qualify for a pay-out should help take the edge off.

Happy exercising!