Have you been working out religiously to lose those extra kilos? If yes, then have you been ensuring to do your exercises in the right manner? While exercising is great to stay fit and active, improve your physique, body movement and joint strength, doing it incorrectly can cause injuries and lead to various issues in the long run. Most people tend to make minor mistakes in their body posture while working out, which can cause severe harm to the spine and the joints. It's not just about warming up, having a light meal 30 minutes before exercising or staying hydrated throughout the session that's important. How you do your exercises should also be paid attention to or done under the guidance of a fitness trainer.
If you have been working out on your own, make sure you don't make these common mistakes, as highlighted by Dr Aashish Chaudhry, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, and Archana Joshi, a trainer at Anytime Fitness:
1. Jogging on your heels
This can tire you out easily. It also shakes your ankles, knees and hips which over time could develop into shin splints, knee pain and other leg injuries. It's better to run on the balls of your feet to absorb the shock.
2. Bad neck positions
People tend to look down or straight ahead when doing squats, push ups or deadlifts. This strains the cervical spine. It's better to pack the neck, point the chin down, make a double chin and keep it that way while you do your squats.
(Also read: 5 Signs You Need To Pay Closer Attention To Your Body)
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3. Letting your knees cave in
This can cause knee injury due to stress on the knees, especially when doing weight lifting exercises and squats. The knees must bend outwards to avoid stress. Also clench the side muscles of your hips to keep the knees from buckling under the weight.
4. Taking small steps when lunging
This puts the knee ahead of the front foot while placing pressure on the knee. You should instead take wider steps and push your heel into the ground to ensure your knee doesn't move ahead of your heel.
5. Raising elbows too high on the bench press
Doing so puts stress on your shoulders and causes injury. It also makes the exercise harder as the bar has to travel a longer distance. It's better to keep the elbows close to the chest to reduce some stress from shoulders and improve chest and triceps.
Remember, exercising has to be done in limit and as per one's capacity.
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