Be cautious while exercising

Most people believe that all exercises are good, safe and effective, so then how everyone’s body reacts differently to every exercise. The truth is that some of the machines in gyms aren’t safe at all (especially for people who have common muscle, joint, and health problems). Certain exercises require a bit more know-how than the average person possesses.

And other exercises are downright wastes of your time. Althea Shah, fitness expert Gold’s Gym India says, “A woman has weaker bones compared to men and have lesser muscle mass and their joints are generally looser so it is advisable to lift lesser weight compared to men else it will put pressure on the bones & joints and lead to damage.” We tell you five popular gym exercises women should avoid and their best substitutes:

Sit-ups
Ahh, the age-old sit-up. We all grew watching Rocky, Arnold and many more doing this hip busting exercise. From the movies, sure it works out your abs, but not without dragging the lower back into extreme pain. Althea says, “This exercise puts strain on the lumber region of your spine and can result in back pain. If you lock your hands behind your head, it can cause pressure in the spine, which ultimately leads to neck pain. Instead you can do crunches: This exercise also targets the Ab muscles as sit-ups without injuring the lower back.”

Behind-the-Neck Lat Pull-Down Machine
Only people with extremely flexible shoulder joints can do this behind-the-head movement safely, and even they have to be very careful about not hitting the back of their necks with the bar. In addition, almost anyone who spends their days deskbound is likely to have rounded shoulders or poor posture—a symptom of poor shoulder flexibility (among other things), making this exercise a no-no. Zarine adds, “Try the lat pull down in front of the neck. This works your back and biceps.”

Standing dead lifts
Althea says, “Since women are more flexible than men and can bend down farther, it puts even greater stress on their legs and lower back. It also results in bulky back, leg and rear-end muscles. Instead you can do: Leg kick-backs. Facing a wall, stabilise yourself with your arms and kick your right leg back as far as you can. Repeat 10 times, then do the same with your left leg.”

Straight leg Push-ups
One of the easiest exercises to do. But experts warn push-ups often lead to neck and shoulder pain. Try doing push-ups on your knees. Focus on where you place your hands to make sure you’re working the chest.

Upright row
Zarine Mehta, Watson’s Fitness says, “This exercise can injure the nerves in your shoulder area try to avoid them. My suggestion would be go for front or lateral raises, try lift weights to the front or side of the body. This exercise effectively works the muscles of the shoulders.”