Poor form on cardio equipment can lead to bad posture
This morning, while I was training a client, I happened to look up and see another young healthy individual with poor posture on a piece of cardio equipment. I commonly see people with bad form on all types of cardio machines. If you have bad running, biking or walking posture on cardio equipment you might want to concentrate on improving your form. Work with a trainer at your local gym to learn some tips on how to make sure you’re holding the right posture. Why? One of the goals of working out is to improve posture. Bad form for extended periods of time on cardio equipment can exacerbate poor posture.
People with poor posture are usually the ones hanging onto the treadmill or elliptical with such a tight grip it looks like they are waiting for the machine to switch to rodeo mode. Another favorite past time of exercisers is reading while biking or walking. Take note: if you can read while you are on the treadmill or elliptical, you’re probably not working hard enough. In order to see what you read, you need to lean forward so you can read the fine print; what’s up Hunchback of Notre Dame. This is exactly the poor posture I am talking about. If you’re leaning over, flexing your spine and holding onto the machine like it is going to blast into a bucking bull, you have poor posture.
So next time you’re on a piece of cardio, take a moment to think about your form. First, try not to hold onto the machine. Make sure you tighten your abs, keep your shoulders back, chest out and head up. Think about this a few times while you’re working out. Especially when you feel yourself tiring. And if you’re on your laptop, stay in the office. That last comment needs no explanation.