Is this exercise good for me?
Exercises in the fitness industry are often identified as “safe” or “unsafe.” In reality, however, the same exercise may be safe for one and unsafe for another.
Therefore, it is inaccurate to describe one safe and one unsafe exercise. It is the disposition of the body that determines whether one should perform a certain exercise. The body has a threshold of resistance and, once crossed, injury can occur.
Personal trainers have condemned a number of exercises as “bad” for you. These exercises are considered to put too much pressure on a specific joint or muscle groups. For example, many personal physical trainers and some physical therapists claim that the knee extension exercise can be dangerous because it can exert a large amount of shear force on the knee. It is often suggested that a healthy alternative exercise to knee extension is the squat, because forces are distributed more efficiently throughout the body.
Identifying an exercise as dangerous, once again, greatly simplifies problems. The reality is that there are no “bad” or “good” exercises, but the safety of an exercise depends on the preparation of the load of a joint. This is why one client may experience knee pain when performing the knee extension, while another client may experience the same pain when performing squats. The client performing the knee extension may have weak quadricep muscles and therefore performing the knee extension with heavy weight can be dangerous for him / her. On the other hand, the other client may have an unstable foot but strong quadriceps muscles. An unstable foot will distort the forces going up the knee, often causing pain. Such a client would benefit the most from the knee extension exercise, while squats can be dangerous for him / her. The point is that both clients may be experiencing the same symptom, however they differ qualitatively in their ability to bear the physical load.
All joints and the muscles that stabilize them have a set threshold for a mechanical load that they can withstand. A heavy load, or an exorbitant frequency, can exceed the threshold for a muscle group. Let’s take running as an example. The mechanics of running shouldn’t be stressful. However, the cumulative effect of that load can cause injury. So this brings us to the original question; Is this exercise safe for me? Recently, many researchers have suggested that running may not be safe. Many runners have problems with excessive pronation of their feet. It is important to remember that the foot must be in pronation each time it lands on the ground in order to absorb the blows. However, if this is repeated with a frequency that the body cannot handle, the pronation system is likely to collapse. In other words, if the foot can pronate correctly throughout the run, running is a safe exercise. On the other hand, if the foot is unstable, the mechanics of the run will be compromised and the activity can be dangerous.
As a beach volleyball player, I keep hearing how sand volleyball is a good sport for the knees because a.) Softer absorption due to sand b.) The feet are not restricted by shoes so that the mechanics of the feet be expressed correctly. However, many people who play beach volleyball suffer from problems such as back pain, knee pain, and foot pain. Again, it is wrong to say that a particular sport is “good” for the knees or the back. A volleyball player whose foot muscles are not stable is likely to suffer from knee and back pain because the demands placed on his feet in the sand are too great. Feet in the sand have to work harder compared to playing on a hard court in shoes. As the feet are overloaded, the forces from the ground are poorly transferred to the rest of the body, causing the knees and back to suffer. So the bottom line is that running, sand volleyball, or any other sport / exercise can be safe and beneficial, but only if the body is ready for such stress.
How to increase your stress threshold
In my opinion, the strategically progressed exercise program is the most effective method of raising the threshold for physical stress. The addition of muscle activation technique treatments can also be very helpful. For example, a personal training client has shoulder pain when performing a military press. It is important to identify a movement that is the weakest (or the most limited in range of motion). Let’s say this personal training client has difficulty lifting his arm out to the side beyond a 110º angle. If necessary, I would use the muscle activation technique to stabilize the joint. Then I would design a very light exercise that would train that movement only up to a 90 degree angle. Isometrics are also very effective. Basically, a client would SLIGHTLY push their arm against a stable object in the direction of the affected range of motion. Over time, range of motion should improve, however the threshold for physical stress may still be low. An exercise such as the dumbbell shoulder press (using light weights) may be recommended. When the movement is stable under light weight, throughout the range of motion, a heavier weight is recommended to increase strength and therefore the threshold of physical stress. After this point, the client can go back to the military press.
The following are some key points about strategic exercises:
• find the weakest / limited movement component
• Return the intensity of the exercises when the movement is unstable and progress only once you gain stability through the movement.
• Never train for (joint) pain !!
• Allow plenty of rest between workouts
• alter exercise modalities (heavy versus light lifting, circuit training versus cross training) and body parts.
