You’ve probably heard the cliché: Working out is good for you. But are there circumstances when it’s not? Exercise has a wide range of both physical and mental health benefits. Regular exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight; lowers your chances of developing serious health conditions like cancers, heart disease, and diabetes; builds strong muscles and healthy bones; and supports mobility (via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Exercise can also boost your mood, help reduce anxiety and depression, increase energy levels, and sharpen your memory and brain health. And it can be helpful for those struggling with chronic pain or sleep issues (per Healthline). A regular exercise routine has even been shown to boost your sex life.
While the countless benefits of working out are undeniable, there are some exercises that can actually do more harm than good to the body. For most exercises, there is a right way and a wrong way to do them — and there are also alternatives.
Signs you’re doing an exercise incorrectly
So how do you know if you’re doing it wrong? There are a few signs to look for that indicate you may not be exercising properly. First and foremost, you should not be feeling pain. Forget what Jane Fonda said: “No pain, no gain” is not a motto that should be applied to working out. According to Dr. Robert S. Jolson, orthopedic surgeon, pain is your body’s way of communicating to stop. Feeling tired or sore during exercise is common, but pain is a sign that you are performing an exercise wrong, which could result in injury over time (via American City Business Journals). Experiencing any pain during or lingering after a workout is a sign that something is off that shouldn’t be ignored.
Another indication you may be exercising incorrectly is if you’re not feeling the target muscles engage during the workout. For example, a twinge in your low back during a squat is a sign that you should evaluate your form. Steven Mack, certified strength and conditioning specialist, emphasizes that there’s not one specific type of “perfect form,” but there is a range of what’s called “acceptable form” that you should aim for (via Simple Solutions Fitness). It’s common to compromise form when you’re pushing yourself too hard, so make sure to keep checking in with your alignment during intense workouts. Let’s explore some common exercises and go over tips for how you can avoid mistakes.
Lat pull-downs
A lat pull-down is performed on the pull-down machine. The biggest common mistake here is pulling the bar behind the back of your head. This can lead to injury if your posture isn’t perfectly straight, which is only possible to achieve if you have extremely flexible shoulder joints. Plus, if the bar taps the back of your neck, it’s not good for your spine (via WebMD).
Instead, try this exercise by pulling the bar down in front of your face. When you sit down on the pull–down machine, grab the bar a little bit wider than shoulder-width distance, and lean back slightly. As you pull the bar down toward your breastbone, focus on pulling your shoulder blades down your back and toward each other. Engage your core muscles to fuel the movement instead of trying to use momentum to get the bar moving up and down. You should feel both your lower and upper back muscles activate with this exercise.
Smith machine squats
Alex Robles and Brittany Robles, both doctors and personal trainers, recommend avoiding the smith machine altogether (via The White Coat Trainer). According to them, it’s “the worst piece of equipment any gym has.” Because the bar is fixed in the same position as it moves up and down, it pushes your body into abnormal postures that can lead to back problems like a herniated disc.
The machine also encourages people to place their feet too far forward, increasing the chance of injury (per WebMD). Instead, perform a squat without a machine, either with free weights like dumbbells or using no weights at all. Be sure to keep a straight posture and your feet at shoulder-width distance. Slowly bend your knees and hinge at the hips, sending them back like you are sitting in a chair, while keeping your weight in your heels. Then gently return to standing. You should feel your glutes, hips, thighs, calves, shins, and abs engage — not the low back (via Refinery 29). Doing a proper squat can feel complicated, so if you’re not sure, check with a personal trainer about your alignment.
Dumbbell side bends
A popular exercise for targeting your love handles and toning the obliques is the dumbbell side bend. It involves holding a dumbbell in one hand, doing a side bend to move the dumbbell closer to the ground, then returning back to standing (via Fitness Volt). This exercise is not only ineffective, but it’s also dangerous for your spine. “Most of the time, it involves too much lateral bending and twisting of the spine,” performance specialist Matt Cheng told Best Life.
A better alternative exercise is hanging oblique knee raises on a bar, according to Cheng. This movement successfully works your obliques without compromising your spine. To try it, find a pull-up bar and start by gripping the bar with your body and legs straight and your feet touching. Slowly bend your knees and bring them up toward your right armpit, then straighten your legs back to the original starting position. Then, bend your knees again, this time reaching them toward your left armpit. Continue this movement, going back and forth to each side. Try not to swing your legs to use momentum, rather use the strength of your core to lift them up.
Military press
The military press, also sometimes called an overhead press or shoulder press, is a strength training exercise that uses a barbell with weights to build muscles in your shoulders, chest, upper back, triceps, and core (via MasterClass). It’s considered unsafe to lift the barbell up and down from behind your head — tight shoulders can lead to improper form and it can be risky for the back of the neck.
When practicing a military press, make sure the bar stays in front of your head (via WebMD). Also, avoid moving the bar lower than your collarbone and try to keep your posture straight. If you’re concerned about tweaking your low back, try the exercise seated instead. Just be sure to use a chair with a backrest and focus on maintaining your spine’s natural curve by pushing your upper back and glutes in the chair. You can also try ditching the barbell and practicing the exercise by using free weights like kettlebells or dumbbells.
