15 Feb Women’s fitness: Six exercise mistakes to avoid

More women than ever are lifting weights and following strength training programs and that’s great to see.
What’s not so great to see is that training injuries among women have jumped a whopping 63 percent.
Here are six strength training mistakes to avoid:
SKIPPING THE WARM-UP — It’s doubtful anyone would start sprinting immediately upon getting on the treadmill. On the same token, don’t jump into lifting weights right after walking into the weight room.
Opinions vary about what kind of stretching is best, but most would agree 5-10 minutes of walking on the treadmill or light jogging followed by some lunges and pushups will have you all warmed up for a good weightlifting session.
USING BAD FORM — Probably the No. 1 reason for weightlifting injuries is people using improper form on an exercise.
Some experts say women are more susceptible to leg and foot injuries related to bad form because their hips are naturally wider.
Some general tips to maintain good form and good posture are to stand up straight, keep your eyes looking straight ahead, keep abs tight and keep knees over second toe (to avoid knees from turning in too far).
PUTTING TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON THE SCALE – Your bodyweight can fluctuate at different times of the day. Also, when you get into a workout program, your muscles will get stronger which can keep weight on. Muscle weighs more than fat, however, you’ll look better. A better gauge of how your workout is going is how do your clothes fit?
DOING ONLY CRUNCHES FOR A FLAT STOMACH – Just doing crunches won’t get you a flat stomach. To get your ab muscles to look defined, you should also do The Plank exercise, lots of cardio and, of course, eat a healthy diet.
DOING SIDE BENDS TO SLIM YOUR WAIST – Side bends are a no-no for shrinking your hips. According to many experts, side bends shouldn’t be done for women wanting to look slim because they’ll actually thicken those muscles around your waist.
NOT BEING BALANCED – Make sure to work muscle groups equally, such as doing triceps and biceps, hamstrings and quadriceps, front and back of shoulders, in order to avoid getting muscle imbalance that can lead to injury.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com