Can your fitness routine actually be hurting you?

So many people are working their tails off to lose a few lbs or reshape their core.  But are you taking into consideration the wear and tear on your discs, joints, ligaments and tendons?  Some exercise programs that I am seeing recently are weighted too heavy on the risk side vs. the benefit side.  Even lying on a mat crunching your brains out for wash board abs will most likely leave you with a bulging disc vs. a sexy torso.  Get off the mat and carry something with asymmetry such as a sandbag or kettlebell.  Think PUSH-PULL-LIFT-CARRY WITH ASYMMETRY and RESIST ROTATION THROUGH THE CORE.  A long way from the squat, bench press, curl and dip mentality of the 70s and 80s. 

Even with these advancements in exercise the program can still be too aggressive or risky.  For example, why flip a heavy tire or deadlift extreme weightloads unless you are training for an event.  Why swing a kettle bell for two minutes straight, especially if you are prone to lumbar shearing forces causing you pain (if you don't know the answer you shouldn't do the exercise!)  If it is just to brag to your buddies that you did it?  Get a life!  There are safe and effective ways to do a more functional style of training while minimizing the risk.  Equipment that utilizes multiplanar, user defined movement patterns is very beneficial with much less risk to future injury.  I love kettle bells, sandbags, sleds, and suspension trainers as well, but we all need to justify why we are doing every exercise you include in your program.  If it doesn't serve a functional (strength, power, endurance, specificity) or corrective benefit (posture, gait, balance, recovery) then leave it out of your program.  Go home 5-10 minutes early and save your joints some wear and tear. 

Fitness is supposed to be preventative in nature, not a catalyst to future over-use injuries.  Find your sweet spot between intensity (risk) and purpose (benefit or why I am chosing to do this exercise).  If you are questioning the validity of a specific exercise, let me know and I am happy to help. 

If you are partaking in a fitness program, the likelihood is that you are far ahead of those who are not.  However, if you are going to put in the work and effort, why not ensure the outcome meets your goal?