Harry Jackson Jr. – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Sep 27 2006 12:00AM
Here are some of the mistakes that Keath Hausher, owner of Shark Fitness, a boot camp training company, and other folks who teach exercise and physical rehabilitation say they see:
Starting a core-concentrated fitness program without knowing what you need to do or what you’re doing. That can cause long-lasting injury, and even cause your body to become misshapen. Remember, the core wraps around the backbone, which is the great traffic exchange for all of your nerves.
Concentrating on one area too much. That can pull your posture out of alignment, injure the spine or cause your body to become misshapen.
Poor form. Bad technique can cause immediate injury or damage that causes pain in later years. For example, improperly doing sit-ups or crunches can damage your lower back, even if you may not feel it for several years.
Doing back-strengthening exercises if you’re over 55. “People who are over 55 shouldn’t be doing back-strengthening exercises,” said Renee Ivens, a physical therapist at Washington University School of Medicine. “Stay off the push-backward-and-forward machines.
“As we age, we develop stenosis in the spine. The space between the vertebrae become smaller, so you’re pinching nerves.”
Twisting to extremes. Learn the proper way to exercise your obliques; twisting too much can cause injury.
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