Workouts you may be doing wrong

Edward Nsubuga, a fitness specialist at Eddie’s Spa in Gayaza, says when performing most strength-training exercises, the main thing to keep in mind is that all movement starts with your core. By engaging your core, you can do most exercises with more stabilisation, power and strength.

The squat lift exercise
Ivan Kalyango spends most of the day confined to his office chair since he works from 8am to 4pm. He says since he sits for long hours, he started developing back pain.
He, therefore, started taking a few minutes from work to do some squats. Kalyango recalls he would put too much pressure on the lower back while his leg joints, especially the knee area would be bent at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. This, he did as he held approximately a 30-kilogramme weight lift he had made using paint tins and concrete from home.

When he did it for a while without getting the results he needed (getting rid of back pain), he sought backache remedies from a doctor, who recommended him to a gym instructor.
“I was told that a squat lift exercise is carried out with the main body support from the legs without bending the back and the knee joints. I was guided on always keeping my spine in a normal position from the start to the end of the exercise,” Kalyango recalls.
“I was advised that the shoulders should remain upright above the hips as I lower myself as though sitting back on a chair and keep my entire body weight on the heels and not the toes much as I work out in sports shoes all throughout the movement,” he adds.
That way, Kalyango says he was able to minimise back pain. He adds that if you start an exercise routine to achieve a specific target, have the discipline to follow your instructor’s advice.
“Exercise is like medicine. If you start taking it and stop before you heal, you will have to start afresh at some point in future,” Kalyango says.

Planks
Just like press-ups, Nsubuga says the most common mistake you can make while doing planks is doing it either while your hip area is almost touching the floor or when your hip area or buttocks are raised high. Instead, he says, this will cause you back pain.
“With your elbows touching the floor, keep your legs and buttocks in a straight position and raised to create a straight line that runs from your hind head to the toe and shoulders above your elbows. Look down on the floor from which you are exercising without giving chance to your back to bend or sink,” he says, adding, if you keep longer in that position, it means that you are on your way to achieving a strong spine,” he explains, adding that the elbows need to be directly under the shoulders, hands separated and head in a neutral position.

Leg pressers
Julius Gayira, a fitness instructor at Fitness 256, says leg pressers mainly target your thigh muscles. Incorrectly, the leg pressing exercise is done with your knees right into your chest with the knees almost, if not touching the chin, something that strains your lower back muscles.
“Correctly, Gayira says, your knees should not be bent more than 90 degrees. Your lower back should be kept in a straight line without having to develop the line against the wall or object from which you are gaining support. Only your head and neck should touch or press against your workout support,” Gayira advises.

Lunges
According to prevention.com, an online portal, lunges strengthen the deep core muscles and all areas of the legs, but many people forget to bend the back knee as much as the front knee, creating improper form.
“To do this correctly, drop your hips straight down, bending both knees. Keep the front heel planted solid to protect the knee. You can vary lunges to make them easier by going only half way down to the floor and up,” the portal says.

Sit-ups
Another seemingly simple exercise that can actually cause pain and injury if not done correctly.
How people get it wrong
• Pushing the head forward too much
• Pulling the chin into the chest
• Putting the hands behind the neck and pulling on it
• Rounding the lower back
• Not breathing throughout the movement
• Going too fast and virtually just rocking back and forth

How you should do it
The sit-up, as the name suggests, requires your entire back to leave the floor. It is important to keep your knees up with your feet planted firmly on the ground as you lie on the floor. It is best to have your fingers pointing towards your temples if you like to flare the elbows out, or you can cross your arms on your chest. You start the movement like a crunch, but then lift your body up from the hips until you are at about 60-70 degrees from the ground, keeping the lower back fairly straight. Then, lower yourself back down slowly.