Several years ago I spent a six-month stretch ‘temping’ in London. Each day, my fitness industry temping agency would post me to different locations in and around the city.
Get it wrong and exercise can very well end up hurting us too- Matthew Muscat Inglott
Indeed, I was never in the same place for more than a week at a time, at locations ranging from luxury fitness emporiums and health club chains to private corporate gyms and hospital rehabilitation centres.
Seeing so many gyms and their members made watching people exercise as natural or repetitive to me as watching vehicles stream along a busy carriageway.
Every so often, however, somebody would catch my attention. I would be struck by their form or technique and think, “Now that person knows what they are doing!” I would be so curious about where and how they learned to train, that I quickly got in the habit of simply approaching and asking.
The chosen ones invariably fell into the following main categories: they were either current or former athletes themselves, or taught by an athlete with whom they had developed a close bond and spoke of highly. They were also either personal trainers themselves, or taught by personal trainers with whom they had developed a close bond and spoke of highly.
Health-related exercise is a little like fire. Learning to effectively control and use fire catapulted our distant ancestors to the top of the food chain, yet to this very day, put your hand in it and you still get burnt.
Likewise, learning to effectively control and use exercise and physical activity ourselves today can empower us to change our lives for the better. Get it wrong however, and exercise can very well end up hurting us too.
By training effectively and in good form, we get fitter, stronger, healthier and more physically able to meet the challenges of everyday life. If we are careless or reckless in our form, we could injure ourselves, and if our goal is to enrich the quality of our lives, then where is the sense in getting hurt?
Let’s consider the king of all exercises: the squat. This is a prime example because when performed effectively, the squat represents the most valuable investment of time and effort you could possibly make in your exercise programme.
It is indeed the one exercise you might perform at the expense of all others and still achieve good results in terms of functional strength, muscle growth, fitness and fat burning. Perform it wrongly however, and the story could have a more sinister ending.
Without effective instruction, a beginner experimenting with the squat will consistently fall into the following traps: they will load on more weight than they can safely handle, they will descend not nearly low enough, and their weight will shift forwards onto the balls of the feet as they descend, placing the majority of the stress on the knee joint and its associated tendons and ligaments.
If these mistakes persist, not only will the exercise be totally ineffective, but it will eventually lead to injury, guaranteed. By choosing an appropriate weight on the bar on the other hand, descending to the right depth, keeping your weight towards your heels and lower back tight will eliminate undue danger and allow you to tap into the immense potential the squat has to offer.
The most popular upper body exercise we know and love is the bench press, which carries similar risks of its own. Without effective instruction, a beginner experimenting with the bench press will consistently fall into the same traps: load up more weight than they can safely handle, take the bar not nearly low enough towards the chest, and allow the weight to shift off course, specifically back towards the face, placing the majority of the stress on the small front deltoid muscles of the shoulders. A shoulder injury is dead certain sooner or later unless the necessary corrections are made in time.
OK, so we know there are dangers, and picture perfect technique is definitely what we need for optimal results at minimal risk, but what exactly can we do about it?
The gym members mentioned earlier who exhibited perfect technique all developed such proficiency with a little help. So if you are serious about achieving results, it won’t hurt to enlist a little help of your own.
Consider hiring a good personal trainer, one who preferably has competitive sporting experience. This will kickstart your fitness regimen and get you moving on the right track.
I hear your concerns: good personal trainers are hard to find and their services don’t come cheap, this is true. Remember however, that doctors and physiotherapists aren’t cheap either in the eventuality that you might get injured, and neither are creams and pills to decrease inflammation and combat pain.
If you are not a beginner, consider single sessions with personal trainers when the need arises, to explain the finer points you aren’t sure about concerning certain advanced exercise techniques or programmes.
If you are unsure about what you are doing but are unwilling or unable to enlist professional support, always stick to the safer equipment alternatives. Stick to the cardiovascular machines in your gym and try the pre-set programmes.
As for strengthening and toning, use the plate-loaded or cable-operated resistance machines since they guide the movement for you, virtually eliminating the risk of hurting yourself.
They also bear instructions visible somewhere on the machine frame itself, and when in doubt, seek out the fitness instructors or gym attendants on duty for a live demonstration.
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