Fitness should be a part of every person’s life. However, it’s important to know that it’s not a one-size-fits-all. We each have different body structures, potential orthopedic issues, past injuries, fitness levels, and overall goals. Understanding your body, history, and targets is essential to work out effectively and efficiently.
Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey, coming back from an injury, or trying to nail down the proper form for an exercise, learning to adjust your workouts by incorporating modifications is essential for your safety and progress in the gym. Unfortunately, many people associate modifications as not being good enough to perform a prescribed exercise. Instead, modifications should be looked at as taking a different route to the same destination in a safe environment.
Here are a few ways to understand how and when to modify an exercise.
Fitness Level
Fitness is like building a home. You must lay the foundation of the home first before you build the walls and roof. Therefore, starting off with advanced movements like heavy back squats or plyometric sled pulls without a built-up foundation can lead to bad form, over-compensation, and/or injuries. Try modifying your workouts by starting off with low-impact and/or bodyweight movements. Work on form, stability, and execution before progressing into more advanced exercises with weights.
Injury or Pain
Pain is your body’s way of telling you something is being done incorrectly. If an exercise causes any type of pain or lingering discomfort, it’s important to stop the movement and assess the area of pain. Remember, fitness is about longevity, and ignoring pain can lead to long-term injury, which may limit longevity rather than increase it. You can modify exercises by doing a different movement that still targets the same muscle group. For example, if you are working the deltoids but an overhead press causes pain or discomfort, try an upright row instead.
Limited Mobility
If you feel like you are forcing yourself into a position, you most likely have limited mobility in that area. Never force yourself into a position that has a limited range of motion. You can modify an exercise by decreasing the range of motion to make it more accessible for you. For example, perform a push-up on your knees rather than on your toes if you are unable to do the exercise or if the intensity is too much for you. You’ll still engage your upper body and core muscles while building strength.
With a modification, an exercise can be less demanding, and you can concentrate on maintaining the proper form and alignment throughout the movement. Once you gain strength with a modified exercise, you can gradually progress to doing the same exercise without a modification.
Postpartum
Postpartum exercise is vital for recovery and health; however, it should be monitored very carefully. First and foremost, the pelvic floor must be built back up before returning to a regular exercise routine. Instead of hopping into a core class doing bicycle crunches, sit-ups, and high-intensity exercises, modify your workouts by incorporating exercises that will rebuild your pelvic floor, such as Kegel exercises, diaphragmatic breathing, walking, or swimming.
As always, check with your healthcare practitioner before starting or changing any exercise routine. Your body and fitness level will change over time. Accept where you’re at, and incorporate modifications whenever necessary.
