People who go to fitness classes may find that some exercises in the routine may do them more harm than good. Most fitness instructors don’t have an opportunity to individualize a routine for each of their class members. The following list of exercises that may be harmful in certain cases will allow you to ’sit out’ those that may not be good for you. If in doubt, ask a physiotherapist.
The deep squat This puts a lot of strain on the knee joints and knee caps, especially of women, because the angle between their knees and hips is wider than that in men. It should not be done by women unless prescribed by a physiotherapist, and should be avoided by anyone with knee problems.
Abdominal exercises Physiotherapists have reported seeing pelvic-floor problems among women who do a lot of abdominal muscle-strengthening exercises such as ’sit-ups’ and leg raising. Strong abdominal exercises put excessive strain on the pelvic floor, especially if it is weakened by child-bearing. Any weakness of the pelvic floor can lead to problems such as difficulty in controlling the bladder and prolapse of the pelvic organs. You can protect your pelvic floor by bracing its muscles before each abdominal exercise. Simply contract the pelvic muscles as if trying to close tightly the outlets of the bladder, vagina and bowel.
Sit-ups The straight-legged sit-up puts too much strain on the lower back and has been eliminated from most exercise routines. Even the sit-up with flexed knees and hips is thought to place too much pressure on the lower spine. People with back problems should not perform the full sit-up (45 degrees is enough) and for older or pregnant women, raising the shoulders off the floor is all that is recommended.
Isometric exercises (such as pushing or pulling an immovable object, which increases the tension in muscles without changing their length) raise blood pressure and therefore should not be done by people with hypertension or other heart disease.
Exercises on a carpeted floor, those done lying down especially, can cause problems for those with respiratory allergies such as asthma or hay fever.
Of course if you have any chronic health problems, particularly heart or lung disorders, always ask your doctor’s advice before taking up any new exercise.
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