Rushing through workouts and ignoring our form could cause injury—especially for those of us with existing back or knee problems—or make our workouts less effective, setting back progress.

The Singapore Physical Activity Guidelines for adults specify to accumulate at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, with muscle strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week, for additional health benefits.

Let's find out how we can maintain proper form and avoid injuries when exercising!

Why Care About Form During Workouts?

Form is how we position and move our bodies during exercise. Why is maintaining proper form important?

Injury Prevention

Exercising is, basically, putting our bodies under physical stress. Improper form means the body isn't correctly aligned. This may result in placing unnecessary stress on our joints and tendons, which could lead to injury and pain, affecting our quality of life.

You may have heard of people complaining about knee injuries or pain in their knee joints after a workout. Proper form helps prevent this.

Strength Training? Target the Right Muscles

Working out with proper form helps us hit our fitness goals by making sure that we're targeting the correct muscles and training them effectively.

Tips to Maintain Form

So, how do we exercise with proper form? Here are some tips!

Consult Professionals

Whether it's free weights, resistance training, or weight machines that you plan on using for a full-body workout, consult a certified personal trainer. He or she can help you check your technique and correct your form. Avoid observing and copying your friends, they might not be doing it right either!

Record Yourself

Check your form by recording yourself working out and comparing your clips with online exercise videos by experienced professionals and reputable sources. You might spot where you're doing certain movements incorrectly.

Be in Control

Whether you are lifting weights, doing squats, or stretching, keep your movements slow and controlled.

When standing, make sure your weight is evenly distributed on both feet.

Choose the Right Level of Difficulty

If you're just starting to exercise after a long period of inactivity, make sure you don't bite off more than you can chew.

Master basic techniques by starting off with body-weighted exercises before progressing to more advanced workouts with external resistance tools like dumbbells and kettlebells!

And, as always, warm-up before exercising, and stretch to cool down after. Stop if you feel any pain!

Do consult your doctor before starting any exercise regime, and practise caution when exercising. Remember, safety first!

Download the HealthHub app on Google Play or Apple Store to access more health and wellness advice at your fingertips.

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