Exercise Dangers To Watch Out For

Did you know exercise could be dangerous to your health? Dozens (or more) couch potatoes just felt vindicated for their inactive lifestyles, but it is true that exercise can cause you health problems. Let’s look at a few ways this happens.

Doing fitness moves wrong can not only not be effective, but also cause damage to your body. Do you remember doing sit-ups in gym class with your hands behind your neck and someone holding your feet? (OK, I’m aging myself here.) It turns out that position is one of the most hazardous exercises on the book. You can strain both your lower back and your neck area. Spinal injuries do not cause stronger muscles.

Lat Pull downs are where you use a weight machine and pull the bar down to the back of your head. Evidently this can tear rotator cuffs and cause spine and shoulder injuries.

We have all seen people do bench presses. This is where you lay down and straighten your arms up in the air while holding a bar with weights on them. Evidently you are risking injury to your shoulders, wrists and back, not to mention your neck and chest if you drop the bar.

Squats can be hard on your knees if not done right. We have a tendency to go too far down, which not only strains the knees, but the back.

In upright rows you are supposed to bend your arms and bring the weight bar to your chest. Too many of us bring it under our chin, which causes shoulder injuries.

Are you taking statins and trying to exercise to increase your muscle? The two may be working at cross purposes to each other. Statins, especially if you are low on CoQ10 deplete, or eat, muscle tissue. Muscle building occurs as we create micro tears in the muscles through use. You will lose strength instead of gaining it if the statins are not allowing the muscles to be rebuilt after tearing.

Any type of exercise done at a gym can be harmful if the gym itself is toxic. In fact just walking in the door may be hazardous to your health. Things to look for include odors, especially ones in the locker rooms from other people’s chemical personal care products or chemical air fresheners. Chlorine smells, both in the locker room and in the swimming pool. Yes, chlorine kills germs, but it also destroys sensitive tissues in your eyes and lungs. Other disinfectants can do the same things or worse, including causing nausea, memory loss and muscle control problems.

Yoga mats made from rubber can contain latex, which many people are allergic to. Those made of plastics can leach hormone mimicking compounds such as BPA and phthalates.

Air conditioning makes you sweat less, thereby reducing the cleansing effect of your sweat. In addition it can recirculate bacteria and viruses from your fellow athletes, as well as mold spores from those damp areas that aren’t being cleaned properly. Water fountains can be another source of these problems, not to mention the possible fluoride and other chemicals frequently found in municipal water supplies.

Electromagnetic Fields (EMF’s) are a form of radiation emitted by electronic equipment, such as some of the computerized machines, televisions, power lines and wireless devises. More and more evidence shows that these EMF’s can damage DNA, memory and learning and cause sleep disruption, cancer and neurological problems.

One of the most dangerous things about exercise is not doing any. Studies are showing evidence that being physically fit reduces the likelihood of suicide, strokes, heart disease, and obesity. Even something as little as a daily walk, or working while standing instead of sitting shows great benefit. On the other hand marathon running and other extreme forms of exercise can lead to heart attacks.

In this case more is not always better.