Health Digest: Underrated Exercises You're Probably Not Doing

Kasia Gondek, PT, DPT, CSCS Discussing Underrated Exercises You're Probably Not Doing

By K.M. Langevin/Jan. 21, 2021 10:12 am EST

There's no denying that exercise provides lifelong benefits. Studies have confirmed exercise increases longevity and staves off illness (via Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine). And while many likely have a regular exercise habit, others of you might be trying to form a new habit and make exercise a part of your healthy lifestyle.

Either way, incorporating exercise into your life might feel like a relatively easy decision, but determining what underrated exercises you should do might pose questions. This may be especially true if you grew up doing sit-ups or pushups (complete with poor form) in gym class or started working out on Nautilus machines when you first joined a gym.

Just as there are some seriously overrated exercises, there are some exercises that are underrated — many of which can help us address modern-day challenges. While one may help you minimize stress, another can relieve muscular tension. "[We] can combat pain found in the body by easily exercising certain muscles we typically wouldn't think to," Nate Ho, fitness director of the UFC GYM in Mililani, Hawaii told Health Digest. Here's a look at some of the best and seriously underrated exercises to try.

Neck flexion and rotation exercises combat "text neck"

With the shift to working from home, the ergonomics of our new (but not improved) posture are causing us issues, according to The Wall Street Journal. Yes, many have started experiencing headaches as well as neck, back, and shoulder pain.

[Working from home], combined with more sitting or sedentary lifestyles in general (watching television, sitting and looking down at our screens), wreaks havoc on our posture, and places excess strain on the muscles and joints in the neck, shoulders, and upper and lower back," Kasia Gondek of Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy in Los Angeles told Health Digest. "As a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist, the most common postural issue I see in my patients is called 'forward head posture' or 'text neck.'

This posture, when viewed from the side, shows the head held in front of the chest bone, with shoulders hunched and the lower back rounded. To counteract this position, Gondek suggests a chin tuck: Begin in a seated or standing position, gently tuck your chin and bring the back of your head in line with your mid-back. Hold the position for 10 to 20 seconds then relax. Repeat five to eight times twice per day.

Looking for more info on underrated exercises that you may be missing out on? Continue reading the full article here.