C. Booth
Last Updated on January 7, 2021
Physical activity is one of the most important aspects of your life, especially considering the lousy diets that we are adopting nowadays. However, as you are aging, your body may not be able to run the same amount of exercises as it used to when you were younger.
So you could be spending less time on the exercise bike, doing chest exercises, or shoulder exercises. However, what you need to understand is that being 40 doesn’t necessarily mean being weak or having no stamina for exercises.
It is recommended that when you try to run some breathing exercise, lower back exercises, aerobic exercises, or any other types of exercises to talk to a specialist. The latter is the one most qualified to guide you for the right exercising schedule considering you age, whether you are in shape or not, and other factors.
#1 – Behind The Neck Lat Pull Down
© Jacobcarterphysiotherapy.wordpressThese exercises may feel good after spending a long day at work, but when you hit the neck lat pulldown exercise equipment, you may risk harming your shoulders and rotator cuffs. Moreover, you could be putting more pressure on the neck area and the neck arteries.
So makes sure to keep the weights low as you are exercising and don’t carry out any fast movements. Actually, you can run these exercises without the need for any machines or equipment and you will still get rid of the stress of the day.
Most importantly, it makes no harm to ask your fitness trainer about the best ways you can carry out this training.
#2 – Tricep Dips
© SCI-MXTricep workouts are not recommended for people who are over 40 since they may end up harming that jiggling muscle at the back of their arms (triceps). Tricep exercises may also end up harming the rotator cuffs when done improperly.
And things may get worse if you have suffered from old rotator cuff injuries or micro-tears in the past. In fact, rotator cuff injuries could take a long period of time to heal and could be really painful.
Therefore, you need to be smart about your exercises by using a cable weight instead of using your own weight. This way, you’ll maintain healthy rotator cuffs and you’ll avoid other problems.
#3 – Deadlift
© Take Flight FitnessRunning a stiff leg deadlift is also a bad idea when you turn 40. These may be great workouts for younger people, and if you want to add them to your gym routine, you need to make sure that you know how to deadlift the proper way.
Otherwise, you may end up causing your body harm instead of getting in shape. For instance, you may get knee issues or spinal injuries when you carry out poor form.
That is why older athletes are recommended to avoid this kind of exercise if they are about to start deadlifting in their 40s or later. Instead, you can use exercise balls (kettlebells) to get the same results.
#4 – Leg Press
© AmericangritYou may want to avoid that leg press machine if you don’t want to have harmful exercises. This kind of exercises is hard on the back and knees even for younger athletes, so you can imagine what they would do to your body when you are at your 40’s.
The tricky part about this kind of exercises is keeping the back in a proper form as you are pressing forward. So make sure that you avoid them and use kettle balls that may give you the same effect without causing you any backaches or grinding your knees.
#5 – Leg Extensions
© Muscle & StrengthThe leg extension machine is not recommended for people of all ages. What athletes need to be aware of is that the knees are not designed to extend completely when moving weights.
Therefore, when you run some exercises on this machine, you may be risking causing wear and tear to your knees. Therefore, the more you add weights, the more you are harming your knees.
That’s why young athletes may develop chronic knee pain as they age and have their knees aging badly. So make sure you spread the word about these machines.
#6 – Squats
© Men’s JournalThe last thing that your knees need is to get on the squat rack as you are aging. Back and front squats are great exercises for your legs and glutes, but you may end up harming your 40-year-old back as well.
As your knees are aging, they could be pretty sensitive to excessive bending. This is especially true when you run some weight-bearing exercises. In addition, squats build up muscles that may lead to having the appearance of fat and make you look heavier. So, you should be aware of when to stop squats.
#7 – Crunch Fitness Workouts
© PinterestCrunch gym workouts are great as ab exercises and can help you have a better belly area; however, they can cause you injuries in your neck and spine.
The worst thing about these workouts is that they may exacerbate an already injured back or lead to back pain, which is not a pleasurous feeling.
So instead of harming your body, make sure that run some proper plank exercises or core exercises without crunching your muscles and backbone. This way, you will be able to strengthen core muscles and protect your back from harm.
#8 – Intense Cardio
© HercampusThe best cardio workouts may require that you push yourself to the limits and spend hours exercising at the top of your level. However, you may want to cut down on these intense cardio exercises as you are getting 40.
When you carry out intense cardio exercises at home or at the gym, you could be breaking down muscle that takes a long time to heal, increase cortisol production that can result in fat problems, decrease gains, and getting harmful free radicals to build up.
Instead, you can decrease the intensity of your workouts by taking rests between the sets and taking shorter sets.
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