Eight common form mistakes which are wrecking your workout

Dr.Aashish Chaudhry, 3 mins read

Exercise has several benefits like improving fitness, cardiovascular function, body movement, joint strength, and much more... if done correctly. We however tend to make minor mistakes in our body posture while working out which can reduce its effectiveness and even cause harm to our health.

There are eight forms of exercise mistakes you should avoid:

1. Letting your knees cave in

Also called valgus, this can cause knee injury due to stress on the knees usually when doing weight lifting exercises like 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.

2. 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 longer distances. It’s better to keep the elbows close to the chest to reduce some stress on the shoulders and improve the chest and triceps.

3. Taking small steps when lunging

This puts the knee ahead of the front foot 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.

4. Jogging on your heels

This tires 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.

5. Bending the back while doing a deadlift

This puts pressure on your spine which can damage nerves, nerves, and spinal discs. It also limits how much you can lift. You should maintain a straight back with a natural curve in the lower back. Also, bring your shoulders down together and squeeze your abs.

6. 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 your chin down, make a double chin and keep it that way while you do your squats.

7. Not using the legs during bench press

Before bench pressing, drive your feet into the ground and stick your bottom to the bench at all times to stabilize your body. Otherwise, you may lose get stuck, start flailing around and even injure yourself.

8. Rowing without using your shoulder blades

If you do this while rowing will dumbbells, your elbows will move too far behind your ribcage, which reduces the benefits to your shoulder and back strength. When you row, your shoulder blade should glide inwards over the ribcage.

So, watch out for these eight common posture mistakes to avoid injuries and health problems, and gain full benefits from your daily routine.

Also Read: Why Do Joints Hurt More in Winters