We’ve all been there. You’re in a workout class struggling through it, sweat pellets hitting the floor. The instructor cues some exercise modifications but you have too much pride to take them. You don’t want to look like the weakest person in the room so you push through. But the next day when you wake up, you feel wrecked and know you should have just taken the darn modifications.
Guess what? Trying to do exercises that are too challenging for what you need in the moment can actually do more harm than good. Here’s why you should set your ego aside and embrace exercise modifications.
Master form first
Doing an exercise that exceeds your current fitness capacity or using weights that are too heavy can actually make you get less out of your workout. Why? When an exercise is too demanding for your current level of strength, endurance, or mobility, you will start to compensate or move through a smaller range of motion. Compensation is no good because it means other muscles step in to complete the task. At best, this under-develops the muscles you are trying to strengthen and at worst, it can lead to pain or injury over time.
Lighter weights allow you to strengthen smaller muscle groups that are overpowered by heavier weights while mastering the form basics. You want to make sure you’re moving well so that you get the most out of an exercise without hurting yourself.
Larger ranges of motion allow you to gain more functional strength (aka the strength you need to do daily activities). For example, if you’re doing lunges and the weight is so heavy that you can’t tap your knee to the ground, you’re only gaining strength through a partial range of motion. You’re doing yourself a disservice because in everyday life, you need to be able to push yourself up from a half-kneeling position where your knee is on the ground! So doing a lunge with lighter weight but the full range of motion will actually serve you better.
Kiss your ego goodbye
Yes, we all want to push ourselves and keep up in an exercise class. But trust me when I say, the person next to you could care less about what you’re doing. They’re not judging you – in fact, they likely feel motivated by you. So stop the comparison game and focus on yourself. The only person you need to compare yourself to is YOU. Take the exercise modifications and you just may inspire someone else to honor their body as well.
Don’t stay stuck in a modification
Exercise modifications are wonderful to help you build strength and mobility but you still want to make sure you’re challenging yourself. If you’ve been taking a modification for a few weeks, don’t be afraid to try the harder version of the exercise. Once you master the basic form, increase your weight or speed with a move. Getting stronger over time requires you to continue challenging yourself. You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect to see different results. So use the modification as a stepping stone to build strength and increase power and mobility.
Know that modifications come and go
Exercise modifications can come and go based on how you feel on a given day. That means that some days you may do a harder version of an exercise or use heavier weights, and some days you may need lighter weights or a modification. This is NOT a sign of weakness or regression. It means you’re listening to your body and honoring what it needs.
I’ll give you an example. Let’s say you’ve been working on pushups. You started doing push-ups on a countertop or bench. You’ve worked your way up to the floor on your knees and just recently were able to do a full push up. But then you encounter a stressful week at work, your kids need more from you, and you’re not sleeping well. Any of these stressors can reduce your capacity for additional stress, and exercise is a stressor (albeit a positive one).
You head into your workout expecting to do full push ups, but they just feel really crummy. You can feel your shoulders tensing up, your elbows are barely bending, and it just feels off. This is the perfect time to go back to the modification either on your knees or on the bench. You’re not getting weaker or taking a step backward. You’re simply honoring your body and giving it what it needs on that particular day. Once your stress levels out and you sleep better, you’ll be able to seamlessly go back to your full push ups.
Now that you know the truth about exercise modifications, I hope you feel empowered to cut yourself a break once in a while. Whether you need help up-leveling your routine, learning about your body’s full range of motion, or understanding common ways to modify exercises, the Empower Physio and Wellness team has you covered. Let’s chat.
