The 7 Worst Exercises for Older Adults

That launched us into a long and winding conversation, which is how it goes with workout injuries. The older you get, the harder it is to describe any single problem in a straightforward way. Each new one is linked to an older one, and each older one has its own history.

George told me his limp was caused by back problems, which in turn were linked to a hip replacement. After that surgery, he saw a physical therapist whose program included an exercise called the leg press.

The first time he did leg presses, he felt uncomfortable. The second time, he felt shooting pains down both legs. Soon his sciatica was so severe he needed a series of pain-numbing epidural injections just to move around again. Months later, like I said, he was still limping.

I told him I was surprised his therapist had put leg presses into his program. Even more surprising: George’s therapist also had him doing crunches. Back specialist Stuart McGill, Ph.D., warned about the dangers of both exercises in Low Back Disorders, a book he published in 2002. How could a rehab specialist not know this in 2017?

When I told this story to Alexandra Smith, a trainer in Los Angeles who works primarily with older clients, she said it happens a lot.

“I’ve had many clients whose doctors and therapists gave them things that are completely detrimental to their well-being,” she says.

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