Exercising regularly is great for your health. It can make your heart stronger, your muscles more powerful, and even boost your mood. But if you don’t use the correct form while working out, you can hurt yourself. Many injuries from exercise happen simply because people don’t move the right way. That’s why using proper form is so important—whether you’re just starting out or have been working out for years.
What Does “Proper Form” Mean?
Proper exercise form means doing each movement the right way so that your body is safe and balanced. This includes keeping your joints in line, using the right muscles, and moving in a smooth and controlled way. If your form is wrong—maybe because you’re tired or were never taught correctly—you can put too much stress on the wrong parts of your body. That can lead to pain or injuries.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) says that poor form is one of the main reasons people get hurt during workouts, especially in weightlifting and intense fitness routines (ACSM, 2022). Injuries often happen in the knees, lower back, shoulders, and wrists—places that are used a lot in exercises like squats, push-ups, and lifting weights.
How Poor Form Causes Injuries
Bad form can lead to two types of injuries:
- Sudden injuries, like pulling a muscle or twisting a joint.
- Slow-developing injuries, like joint pain or tendinitis, which build up over time.
For example, lifting weights with a rounded back can hurt your spine and lead to back problems like herniated discs (Cholewicki & McGill, 1996). When people squat and let their knees fall inward—something called “knee valgus”—it can damage the knee, especially the ACL (Hewett, Myer, & Ford, 2006).
These types of injuries are very common, but often preventable with better technique.
Why Good Form Helps
When you use good form, the right muscles do the work, and your joints are protected. Let’s take the push-up as an example. If you keep your back straight and your elbows at the right angle, your chest and arms do most of the work. But if your elbows stick out too far, you can strain your shoulders (Escamilla et al., 2009).
Using correct form also helps you build better movement habits. This means that over time, your body will move more safely and efficiently—even when you’re not thinking about it (Behm & Sale, 1993).
Warm-Ups Matter Too
Good form is easier when your body is ready to move. That’s why warm-ups and stretching before exercise are so important. Warming up helps your joints move better and makes your muscles more flexible, which makes it easier to move correctly (McCrary, Ackermann, & Halaki, 2015). Skipping your warm-up can make even good form hard to keep up, especially when you’re tired.
Getting Help and Feedback
One of the best ways to learn proper form is to work with a certified exercise professional. We can watch how you move and give advice to help you avoid mistakes. Studies show that real-time feedback like this really helps people, especially beginners, use better form and avoid injuries (Myer et al., 2005).
You can also use mirrors, take videos of your workouts, or try apps and wearables that help track your movements. Just remember: It’s better to do fewer reps with good form than to do more with bad form.
How We Can Help
Working with exercise professionals, such as kinesiologists or certified trainers, can ensure that you execute exercises with proper form and alignment. Professional guidance reduces injury risk and maximizes effectiveness.
At CARESPACE, we are focused on a holistic approach to health and helping clients like YOU reach your individual health goals. Whether you’re new to exercise or looking to optimize your routine, our team of kinesiologists and personal trainers in Waterloo can help you incorporate flexibility, range of motion training, and other physical activities into your lifestyle safely and effectively.
Call or book online today to learn more about how we can support you in reaching your health and fitness goals!
Final Thoughts
No matter how strong or experienced you are, using proper form is one of the best ways to stay injury-free. It helps you move better, protect your joints, and get more out of every workout. So take the time to learn the right technique, start with lighter weights if needed, and focus on quality over quantity. Your body will thank you in the long run.
To understand available treatment approaches, visit our fitness training services page.
References
American College of Sports Medicine. (2022). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription (11th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Behm, D. G., & Sale, D. G. (1993). Intended rather than actual movement velocity determines velocity-specific training response. Journal of Applied Physiology, 74(1), 359–368. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1993.74.1.359
Cholewicki, J., & McGill, S. M. (1996). Mechanical stability of the in vivo lumbar spine: Implications for injury and chronic low back pain. Clinical Biomechanics, 11(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/0268-0033(95)00035-6
Escamilla, R. F., Fleisig, G. S., Lowry, T. M., Barrentine, S. W., & Andrews, J. R. (2009). A three-dimensional biomechanical analysis of the squat during varying stance widths. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33(6), 984–998. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-200106000-00020
Hewett, T. E., Myer, G. D., & Ford, K. R. (2006). Anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes: Part 1, mechanisms and risk factors. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 34(2), 299–311. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546505284183
McCrary, J. M., Ackermann, B. J., & Halaki, M. (2015). A systematic review of the effects of upper body warm-up on performance and injury. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 49(14), 935–942. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2014-094228
Myer, G. D., Ford, K. R., Brent, J. L., Divine, J. G., & Hewett, T. E. (2005). Predictive factors of ACL injury from biomechanical and neuromuscular perspectives. Journal of Athletic Training, 40(3), 196–205.
