Bodyweight exercises like planks, squats and lunges are standard exercises that everyone needs to master before jumping into more complex ones.
These are simple moves that work on multiple muscles of the body and a perfect choice to begin your fitness journey.
But being familiar with these exercises does not mean that you are doing them correctly. You will be surprised to know that a lot of people, including some fitness fanatics get basic moves wrong.
Here we have listed 4 popular exercises that most people perform incorrectly and how to fix them.
1. Squats
When done correctly, squats can help target multiple muscle groups, including legs and core. While performing this exercise most people let their knees fall inwards which takes off pressure from the quad muscles. Other issues may include buckling knees inward, rounding or arching of the back, and sitting back while lowering the body.
How to fix it: Place a chair behind your back while doing this exercise. While going down keep your chin up, back straight and lower down slowly up to the level of the chair.
2. Crunches
Crunches are a popular choice of abs exercise that helps to target the muscles of your midsection. Most people instead of engaging their abs, crank their head towards the chest. This not only gives them neck pain but also harms their posture.
How to fix it: First of all, do not hold your hands at the back of your neck. You just have to put them behind the head to target the right muscle group. Measure the gap between your chin and your chest and don’t let this gap close as you lift your body.
3. Lunges
Lunges is an excellent lower body exercise that helps to tone your quads and glutes. The common mistake most people make is letting their knee go over the toes when they lunge forward. This is a sign of weak glutes and may decrease the benefit of this one move.
How to fix it: Do not go too low when performing this exercise. Lunging too low won’t give you any additional benefits. Your focus will shift to other groups of muscles and you won’t reap any benefits of performing this exercise. When performed correctly, lunges help to strengthen the thighs, buttocks or hamstrings.
4. Plank
How to fix it: Start by laying on the floor and slowly lift your body, contracting the abs. Keep the natural curve in your spine and contract the core muscle every time you exhale.
