Exercise equipment at home can be dangerous not only for those who use it but also for children who treat it like giant toys. In the case of adults, the most common reason for accidents in the home is that the equipment is not checked first.
They just assume that everything is in excellent condition and ready to go. But you must remember that you are not in the gym where the professionals reviewed everything before your arrival. We want to share 5 exercise equipment that can hurt you and explain what you can use as an alternative.
Foam Rolls Can Worsen Varicose Veins
Using a foam roller on your legs can increase blood flow, improve your flexibility, and help your muscles recover faster. However, if you have varicose veins, increasing blood flow is not necessarily a good thing.
The pressure applied to them can make pain and discomfort worse instead of relieving it, causing the veins to swell more. By doing so, you essentially don’t address the problem, but only make it worse.
Instead, what you can do is ride your bike as often as possible, thereby increasing blood flow in a very healthy way. Similar to walking, it promotes circulation and at the same time protects the joints from injury.
Your calf muscles will also be strengthened, which means your overall leg health will improve. It doesn’t matter what type of bike you ride, as long as you do it all by pedaling.
Tears In Exercise Bands Can Cause Broken Ribs
In a very sad example, a man was doing his exercise with a band tied to a door, when it suddenly broke. The man fell back and to the side and broke several ribs and some bones around his right eye.
Although he has had 2 surgeries since the accident, doctors cannot be sure that his vision will be fully restored. This is just one example of how exercise bands can cause serious injury if you don’t verify that they are in good condition and safely secured.
Instead, you can invest in some sliders or gliders that force the muscles of the whole body to participate. They offer a lot of instability and need all of your muscles to participate in all exercises.
They can make your workouts very intense and you don’t have to worry about them breaking or falling from somewhere. They are ideal for anyone who practices weightlifting, as they train their muscles without the need to lift weights.
Balance Boards Can Cause Ankle Injuries
This simple piece of equipment is used to improve the balance of people and, more commonly, for rehabilitation and prevention of injuries. However, depending on how strong your ankles are, they can cause injury.
If, for example, you have injured your ankles in the past, your chances of falling off the board are quite high. Therefore, it is best to enlist the help of a professional trainer or physical therapist before jumping on the board.
A very similar and safer tool that can increase your balance is a fitness ball. The “bird dog” exercise, in particular, targets the hips, legs, lower back, and waist in the same way as a balance board.
What you need to do is lie down with your belly on the ball and keep your core straight. Then you can lift the opposite leg and arm, trying not to move.
Pull-up Bars Can Make You Land Badly
Many houses, either because they are old or because they were not built with enough strength, do not support a drawbar. Many people have fallen off the bars, resulting in minor or very serious injuries.
A woman was paralyzed after performing a difficult exercise and the bar collapsed. In another case, the bolts in a bar were bent and the man exercising fell flat on his face and injured himself.
A safer but equally good exercise would be to take a towel and wrap it around the door handle. The first thing to do is place a mat under the door to hold it in place and make sure the door hinges are strong enough.
Then you can begin to do push-ups by squatting into a semi-sitting position while extending your arms. Then push your body towards the door frame and repeat the entire exercise.
Bent Over Rows Can Displace Your Spinal Discs
Rowing is a popular type of exercise, but when performed on a bench or any similar surface, it can cause serious injury. More specifically, a spinal disc can be dislocated if, during exercise, a nerve is struck.
Another downside is that your posture can worsen, as your shoulders roll forward when you perform the movements.
So instead of kneeling on a bench, you can stand up while leaning forward and keeping one hand on the bench. With the other hand, you can support the weight of your choice and begin pulling with the elbow, reaching all the way to the back. Let your arm lower slowly to avoid hurting yourself from the pressure.
Have you ever injured yourself using gym equipment at home? If so, what caused the damage?
