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SALT LAKE CITY -- Now that spring is approaching and the weather is going to warming up, people are looking into hitting the gym to get their bodies back in shape for summer.
But how can you make sure you don't hurt yourself while you work out?
The elliptical
The elliptical machine may be a low-impact way to increase your heart rate, but some of us aren't using it correctly.
"What I do see is people getting it [to go] too fast, and they can't control the speed, because it will keep going. The momentum of that machine will keep going," says certified athletic trainer Michael Everett.
- If you're moving a part of your body that's not normally part of the exercise. For instance, if you're doing a bench press and you have to lift your feet to build momentum to lift the weight, you're pushing yourself too far.
- If you have to lean to one side to finish an arm curl, or use your other hand to help pull up the weight.
- If you arch your back too far during a squat thrust or bench press.
- If you have to push your knees down with your hands during a leg press.
Everett works with the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital and says other problems, like tendinitis, can arise from using the elliptical incorrectly.
"If you watch someone on the elliptical that doesn't understand the principal of keeping their knees over their toes, their knees will be towards each other [in] what we call the valgus position; and that can actually develop a problem," he says.
The treadmill
People should also avoid watching TV when they're first starting to use a treadmill because it's too distracting, and you could easily trip.
Everett says it takes time to get used to running on a treadmill, and it could be tough to gauge how far forward or back you need to be. He recommends listening to music instead of watching TV because you can more effectively look to see where your feet are landing.
Lifting weights
The main thing to worry about when you first start lifting weights is to maintain the correct posture and motion, not how much weight you can lift. Everett recommends doing many repetitions with very light weight at first.
"We call it ‘tendon training,'" he says. "You're actually getting the tendons used to the repetitive motion with the stress, and then as that progresses, then you can start adding more weight."
He also says those uber-spotters -- the guys who scream, "Shut up!", "Stop whining!", "Five more!" -- may be causing problems.
"You'll have those that truly are so intense that they're not watching how they're helping or what they're doing," Everett says.
He says it's fine to push someone, but if that person's form goes funny, stop pushing.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
