Exercising is good for you, right? But can exercise be a bad thing? I think that certain exercises can be bad for you. Let’s talk about some of those moves.
Leg Extensions
Multiple times a week I tell my patients with knee pain to avoid leg extension exercises. It’s not a move that happens naturally in life and it puts enormous stress on the patella (kneecap.) In fact, it wears away the cartilage on the underside of the kneecap, causing arthritis.
Full Sit-Ups, V-sits, with or without a twist
Lots can go wrong with these moves. God designed your discs (and the surrounding annulus) to transfer weight from one vertebral body to the next (lifting, weight bearing) and to allow movement between vertebral bodies (twisting, bending.) Full sit-ups put a great deal of stress on the discs. Add to that any twisting movement and you have a recipe for a disc herniation. Also, sit-ups can lead to neck strain when the correct cervical position is not maintained. And, by over stimulating the hip flexors doing a sit-up, you pull your pelvis out of alignment, causing back strain.
Push-Ups with Wide-Based Arms, Upright Rows
Both exercises cause your shoulders to move into a position of internal rotation, which can cause shoulder impingement which leads to a rotator cuff tear. Keep your arms close to your sides when doing push-ups, planks, etc. Avoid upright rows altogether.
Running the Same Side of the Road Every Time
You need to change sides of the road when you run. Each road has a little camber or slope built into it to let water drain. When you change the side of the road you’re running on you’re balancing the stress on your knees.
If you’re experiencing joint pain and seeking non-opioid and non-steroid pain care management, call Advanced PainCare at 717-791-2860 today to schedule an evaluation.