Getting out of bed, or off the couch is great in any way, shape or form.  Exercise is beneficial to your overall health by giving you:

·       More restful, beneficial sleep

·       Improved nutritional health

·       Improved body composition

·       Enhanced resistance to colds and other infectious diseases

·       Makes daily activities easier

·       Lower incidence and severity of anxiety and depression

·       Better posture and self-image

·       Longer and higher quality of life

·       If makes you feel good and look younger

That being said, some workouts are better than others. And some exercises are better than others.  The more research that becomes available, the more we can get rid of outdated exercise moves and try better alternatives instead.  Here are some of the top moves you should be avoiding and alternatives to working the muscle groups you are trying to target.

1.     Crunches: this classic tends to put stress on your neck and spine.  This move, especially for those with weak core strength, can easily end in upper back and neck injury.  For a great alternative, try an exercise like the “bird dog”.  This move starts on all 4’s and engaging the core muscles.  You then lift alternate leg and arm straight out and up to parallel with the floor. Switch sides.  This move stabilizes your entire mid-section and spine, keeping injury to a minimum.

2.     Bench dips:  This classic tricep move can put unnecessary strain on your shoulders and elbows. Typically this exercise pushes these joints beyond their normal range of motion which can lead to injury.  What can you do instead? Knee push-ups.   Keep your elbows close to your ribs for these push-ups to ensure you are isolating the tricep muscle. This move will engage the core, chest, shoulders, and triceps – while lowering the risk of shoulder injury.

3.     Dumbbell Side Bend: This is one of the easiest ways to end up with a back injury, especially if weights are too heavy for your relative strength.  Instead, you should try the “standing wood chop” which helps you to build strength in the core and avoids back injury.  You can use a medicine ball to lift over your shoulder and chop down across your body. 

4.     Bicep Curls: Although not necessarily a move that will end in injury, bicep curls only engage one set of muscles making them inefficient at toning your arms.  Try modifying curls by doing them with a resistance band and alternating cross body as well as up and down.

5.     Abductor/Adductor machines: Most people do this move because they think it will shrink their thighs.  The truth is, it’s likelier to cause injury to the back.  Instead try other inner and outer thigh moves like “skaters”.  These are done from a standing position, bending the standing knee and sweeping the opposite leg back.