When is exercise contraindicated

Melissa Sabo. Melissa Sabo is an occupational therapist who started writing professional guidebooks for all Flagship Rehabilitation employees in Specializing in applied therapy and exercise for non-medical readers, she also coauthored a manual on wheelchair positioning. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science in occupational therapy.

A woman is training with light weight dumbbells. Video of the Day. Cardiac Limitations. Cardiac Rehabilitation. Range of Motion. Weight Bearing. There are many exercises, especially for the abdominal and lower back muscles, that damage discs by increasing compression force on the spine at the time of the movement.

Imagine that each of your fists is a vertebra and that you put a sponge in between the fists and push your fists toward each other. The pressure that you exert on the disc the sponge is compression force which, when repeated, can lead to a cascade of events that results in intense pain. The following is my perception of the top ten contraindicated exercises and safe, effective modifications:. Donkey: On your hands and knees. Kick one leg out behind you while you throw your head up-both in a ballistic sudden or bouncing fashion.

Modification: Keep head stationary facing the floor, reach right arm forward and left leg back at the same time, then switch sides. Bent over row or flyes without support: Standing, bent over about 45 degrees, holding dumbbells or barbell and performing a rowing or flying motion with the arms.

Modification: If there are no lower back issues and good core strength, then a modified supported version is a good way to work up to a unsupported bent over row or fly.

For modified: use a bench for support. To exercise your right arm, put your left hand and left knee on a bench. Your back should be flat and your hand should be at the end of the bench with your wrist as straight as possible. If there are concerns for low back issues or a weak core, then perform arm circles without weight and butterfly stretches.

Windmills and cherry pickers: Standing, feet apart, touch left foot with right hand and then touch right foot with left hand. The Cooper Institute, as a c 3 nonprofit, does not endorse any product, service, or linked-to entity. See our map. Publications Key Publications. Studies Past Studies. Written by Michael Harper, MEd. Posted in Fit Tips. Video The Quadraplex exercise works the hamstrings, gluteus maximus, and erector spinae.