This document discusses several exercises and provides guidelines for safe alternatives. It analyzes the questionable exercises of windmill, neck circling, straight leg sit-ups, anchored sit-ups, shin and quadriceps stretch, and deep squatting. For each exercise, it explains how the movement violates body mechanics by placing stress on joints or muscles. Safe alternative exercises are then proposed that avoid these issues, such as back saver sit and reach, head clock, crunches, hip and thigh stretcher, and lunges.
Sps451 t9 questionable exercises & safe alternatives
1. SPS451/FSR/UiTM
Questionable Exercises &
Safe Alternatives
Courtesy from YM Raja Mohammed Firhad B.
Raja Azidin
Faculty of Sport Science & Recreation
MARA University of Technology (MALAYSIA)
2. SPS451/FSR/UiTM
Safe Exercise Guidelines
• Avoid ballistic stretching ligaments and joint capsules
• Do not hyperflex/extend the neck
• Avoid compression on IV disk
• Do stretch the chest, hip, calf, hamstring, low back and
thigh rotator muscle
• Do strengthen the abdominal, shoulder, low back, lateral
hip and shin muscles
• Avoid fast forceful flexion of the spine
• Do not hyperextend the lower back (except when
prescribe)
• Avoid simultaneous flexion of the hip and rotation (twist)
of the spine
• Do not twist or bent the knee laterally
• Do not hyperflex/extend the knee
4. SPS451/FSR/UiTM
Questionable Exercise: The Windmill
• Violation of Body Mechanics
– Simultaneously rotation and flexion (or extension) of the lower
back (contraindicated)
– Because the shape of the facets joint in the lumbar region,
these movement violate normal joint mechanics
– Place tremendous torsional stress on the joint capsule.
• Safe Alternatives
– Back Saver Sit and Reach
– Cross Leg Sit & Reach
– Seated Leg Sit & Reach
7. SPS451/FSR/UiTM
Questionable Exercise:
Neck Circling
• Violation of Body Mechanics
– Requires neck hyperextension
– Pinch arteries and nerves in the neck and at the base
of skull
– Grinding down the disk
• Safe Alternatives
– Head clock
10. SPS451/FSR/UiTM
Questionable Exercise:
Straight Leg Sit Up
• Violation of Body Mechanics
– Straight leg sit up can displace the fifth lumbar
vertebra
– Bent knee sit up produce greater compression on the
lumbar
– Placing hands behind the neck or head can results in
hyperflexion of the neck
• Safe Alternatives
– Crunches/curl up
12. SPS451/FSR/UiTM
Questionable Exercise:
Anchored Sit Up
• Violation of Body Mechanics
– increased the movement of 5th vertebra over the
sacral vertebra
– maximize the activation of the hip flexor
– decrease the activation of the external & internal
obliques & transverse abdominal
– minimize abdominal muscle activation of the lower and
upper rectus abdominal relative to disc compression
(load)
• Safe Alternatives
– Crunches/curl up
15. SPS451/FSR/UiTM
Questionable Exercise:
Shin & Quadriceps Stretch
• Violation of Body Mechanics
– This exercise cause excessive hyper flexion of the
knees
– When the knee is hyperflexed to 120 degrees or
more, the ligament and capsule are overstretched
– Rectus femoris muscle will is not stretched because it
crosses the hip
• Safe Alternatives
– Hip & thigh stretcher
18. SPS451/FSR/UiTM
Questionable Exercise: Deep
Squatting
• Violation of Body Mechanics
– Place knee joint hyperflexion.
– Tend to ‘wedge it open’, stretching the ligament.
– Posses greater stress if foot are not in straight
alignment with the knee
• Safe Alternatives
– Lunges, half squat
