What's a Bad Exercise?

Recently I got asked if deadlifts were a bad exercise for someone with osteoporosis. The question was sparked by someone’s doctor who told them loading is always bad for someone with osteoporosis. The answer I gave was, well, it depends. Everyone is different and can handle different things. What I’m not a fan of is blanket statements proclaiming an exercise to be bad, or good for that matter.

It’s a challenging pursuit to become healthier and stronger and more fit. Saying this is the best exercise for everyone or no one should do this exercise makes these decisions more difficult for the individual. That’s where having a coach or trainer comes in.

Individualized workouts allow you to do the best exercise for you based on movement assessment, health history, goals and training experience. It avoids this is bad and this is good, it lets us figure it out for each person.

So what is a bad exercise? Something that won’t be effective in getting the job done or puts you at too great a risk of injury.

Justin Miner

@portsmouthcoach