Exercises That Can InjureYou

In this day and age of sedentary lifestyles, one would think, "Any exercise is good exercise."  But that’s not true and one should be careful when selecting an exercise plan.  Correct breathing and posture during exercise are essential.  Improper exercising can cause or aggravate injuries. Even basis exercise can be dangerous.  A personal trainer shares her experiences with the good and the bad…

Doing toe-touching with your knees in a locked position and with a rapid bouncing action places tremendous pressure on the lumbar vertebrae.  This could result in lower back pain or injury.  Always allow your knees to bend slightly and remain in a hanging-over position for three complete, slow, deep breaths.  Then straighten slowly.  Repeat this slowly and do it without bouncing.

Perform leg lifts while lying on your back and raising both legs at the same time can cause the pelvis to rotate and lead to swayback (the problem of lower back lordosis).  Eliminate this exercise, as there is no alternative approach.

Doing sit ups with straight legs can also contribute to an increased curvature of the lower back.  For your abdominal muscles to get a real workout, bend your knees, keep your feet flat on the floor, fold your arms over your chest, and curl up to only a 30 degree angle from the floor.

Deep knee bends can cause injury to the knee cartilage.  Bending the knees so they are directly over your feet and your thighs are parallel to the floor will not cause injury.

The most important thing to remember is any repeated movement done in an unnatural position can create problems and potential injury.  Tow key areas of the body to be concerned with are the knees and lower back.  If an exercise is painful, perhaps you are doing it improperly, or it is too advanced for you.  Or, it may be simply a dangerous exercise.