Nothing will derail your fitness goals quite as swiftly as a painful injury.
In order to stay pain-free beware of the following 4 exercises:
#1: The Slump Machine
One of the most common and easiest ways to get hurt at the gym is by using improper posture when on a treadmill, stationary bicycle, Stairmaster, and pretty much any other machine.
In order to avoid injury, fight the urge to rest your forearms on the handlebars of the bicycle or let your head and shoulders slump below your hand grips on the Stairmaster. By doing this your shoulders and back are constantly in harm’s way.
#2: The Fighting Bends
Whether stretching your body for prolonged periods of time or pulling weights down time and again, another way to injure your body is by doing exercises that don’t feel good when you’re doing them.
Many exercises that are likely to cause harm involve pulling weights down behind your head. Exercises like these and others force your body to fight its natural range of motion and are a fantastic way to allow your body to suffer harm when harm could easily be avoided.
#3: Twist, Shout, Scream
Here’s an exercise that potentially builds up a little flexibility but that offers a lot of potential for pain. Grab a broom handle or a barbell, toss it across your shoulders, and start twisting your body.
This aggressive twisting puts an enormous amount of stress on the lower back. There are plenty of safer ways to gain flexibility in your back. Avoid this at all costs.
#4: The Improperly Done Dead Lift
Used as the grand finale for many weight-lifting competitions, the dead lift is the last word when it comes to brute, unfettered strength. And when done correctly, it is one of the best exercises around. BUT when the inexperienced, unprofessional weight lifter tries to take on this impressive feat, the results can be disastrous.
On top of dropping incredible amounts of weight on your body, dead lifting also offers the opportunity to ruin your back by not lifting with your legs.
Stay safe!
About David & Carol Petersen
David & Carol Petersen run Results by Design Personal Training - a personal training gym in Clapham at 292 Battersea Park Road SW11 - Call 020 3551 6739 today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation session and discover how we can help you or complete the blue form on the right hand side of our blog and we will call you. We provide one to one personal triaining, group personal training, classes as well as bespoke healthy eating plans and more. We help our clients lose body fat, tone and sculpt their body and look great outside while feeling great inside.
