You exercise for your health and to keep your body in tiptop shape. Did you know there are certain exercises that can do more harm than good? It’s true. Some exercises are just riskier than others.
Here are 5 exercises NOT recommended by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, for general or recreational fitness:
1. Bouncy (ballistic) toe touches (Area of risk: back, hamstrings and calves)
2. Rapid or full circle head circles (Risk to: cervical spine)
3. Hurdler’s stretch (Potential risk: medial knee ligament)
4. Windmills—a rapid side-to-side movement that combines spinal flexion and rotation (Risk: spine and knees)
5. Plyometrics or jumping on concrete or other hard surfaces (Risk: joint and spinal compression)
What makes an exercise risky?
Pain should always be your guide. But in some cases, you won’t feel it until it’s too late. So, use common sense. If it doesn’t feel right, if your joints aren’t tracking well or you feel discomfort, don’t do it.
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