For many people, working out at home is great because it’s free and saves travel time. However, while it has its advantages, working out without professional guidance can lead to injuries because of the poor posture we adopt while training. The right body position is the key to avoid damaging our muscles and joints.
Here’s a list of the most common mistakes, as well as tips to avoid them. Remember that you should consult a professional before starting any sports program.
- Stressing the neck when doing crunches
Don’t strain your neck forward when lifting your body upward while doing crunches.
You need to keep your neck straight and aligned with the rest of your spine to avoid injury.
- Lifting your feet when you do the bridge
Don’t lift your heels and distribute the weight in your feet incorrectly.
The entire sole of the foot should be spread out on the floor. Upward pressure should be applied from the heels, not the toes.
- Pulling in your knees when you do squats
You should not pull your knees in when you do squats, if you do, the exercise is not done properly.
The knees should be in line with the balls of the feet and they should not lose their stability during the whole exercise. On the way down, they should even go slightly outward.
- Opening your arms too much when doing push-ups
Don’t open your elbows too far outward when doing push ups.
Make sure you have the proper posture, which is to keep your elbows slightly toward your body and your shoulder blades close together.
- Misplacing your feet when you do lunges
Don’t let your knee go past the ball of your foot when doing lunges because foot position is very important.
The front of your knee should be aligned with the ball of your foot, which will keep your leg straight during the exercise.
- Don’t press your foot when doing side lunges
Incorrect: The side lunge is done by sliding one leg to the side and bending down. Supporting only part of the foot is not enough and the exercise is poorly executed.
The sole of the foot must be fully supported on the ground to perform the exercise properly.
- Arching your back when kicking upwards
Incorrect: Creating an unintentional curve when you kick upward is not good for your back. You risk hurting yourself and you don’t perform the exercise properly.
Correct: The back should be straight when you are at rest and it should stay that way when you lift your leg up.
- Bend your elbows outward
Incorrect: If your elbows are arched too far away from your torso while you are doing the exercise, it is being done incorrectly and can injure you.
Incorrect: Proper posture is achieved when the elbows are in line with the shoulders and the shoulder blades are close together.
- Tilting your body when you do lunges
Incorrect: Tilting the body forward too much involuntarily causes the exercise to be performed incorrectly.
Correct: It is necessary to look ahead, and to keep the chest and back straight.
- Pointing the foot outward when doing side squats
Do not bend the leg and point the foot and knee to the side.
You need to have the ball of the foot and the knee pointing forward as you bend the leg.
- Arching your back and holding your arms at head level when doing the “V” exercise.
Incorrect: Arching the back and not reaching far enough with the arms.
Correct: The correct posture is to keep your buttocks and back flat on the ground, your back straight, and your arms stretched as far as possible. The head should be raised between the arms.
- Do not rest your torso on your arms in the climbing posture.
Incorrect: If you perform this exercise with your arms bent forward and your hips pointing up, the position is not good.
Correct: The arms should be straight, in line with the wrists, and the hips should be in line with the back, without creating a “peak”.
- Letting the buttocks fall back in the side plank
Incorrect: The body is not completely straight, the hips form a curve from the chest. The arm is also curved when stretched towards the sky.
Correct: The shoulders, back and hips should be completely aligned and form a straight line. The top arm should be straight and remain fixed in its position.
- Curl the back in the head down dog position
Incorrect: The back is not completely straight, it forms a kind of peak with the legs. The head is raised and you look ahead.
Correct: You should form a straight line from the shoulders to the hips. The head should be between the two shoulders, and you should look in the direction of the legs.
- Stooping the shoulders in the boat stance
Incorrect: The torso is hunched, the abdominals are not working, the shoulders are too far forward, and the head is tilted forward, causing tension in the neck and lumbar region. The legs tilt slightly.
The back should be straightened, the chest should be pushed out by pulling the shoulders back, and the head should be aligned with the back. The legs should be in a horizontal position.
So, do you ever do any of these exercises? Are you doing them correctly? Don’t hesitate to share your sports experience with us in the comments!
