Whatever your goals, there will be some exercises that are perfect for you and others that might not be a great fit, but there are no exercises that you should “never” do. Unfortunately, so-called health gurus love to make lists of things that are supposedly bad for you. For example, according to one article, nobody over 40 should do side bends, sit-ups, or twists. Another article claims no one should use the leg extension machine or do crunches. If you were to try to abide by all of these lists and rules, you’d end up with almost nothing you could do. The truth of the matter is, almost everything works for somebody. So, instead of crossing crunches off your list, or worrying about doing sit-ups because you’re in your 50s, you have to ask yourself if a particular exercise makes sense for you. Are you doing it in the form that’s reasonably safe and effective? Does it feel right when you do it? Are you realizing any benefit from it? If you can answer yes to those questions, don’t let some health guru or personal trainer you’ve never met talk you out of it. There’s an exercise out there for everybody, even people who have issues that require they do them from a chair. It’s better to get busy doing something than to sit around doing nothing.
