Dangerous Exercises

6 Dangerous Exercises You Should Never Do

These moves could leave you achy, injured, or worse
By Jessica Cassity fitbie
 

Straight-Leg Lifts

People do this move to tone the abs, but it's actually one of the worst exercises for the lower back, according to Mike Bracko, EdD, CSCS, an exercise physiologist and fitness educator in Calgary, Alberta. (Feeling stiff? Try the lower-back relaxer.) In the move, a person lies face up, lifting the legs up over the hips then lowering them back down. "When the legs are lifted, one of the prime movers is a muscle that attaches to the lumbar spine vertebrae," says Bracko. "When this muscle is contracted, it pulls the lower back into hyperextension and squeezes the discs which can put a person at risk for a herniated disc." Ouch! A better way to target the lower abs: reverse crunches. (To score a toner, flatter belly, follow the workout and nutrition tips in the Ultimate Abs Guide.)

For more ab-sculpting moves, check out the Women's Health Big Book of 15-Minute Workouts

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