The 5 most overrated exercises the world over (and the ones you should do instead)

Exercise, or simply just moving your body for upto an hour everyday is excellent for your health. Exercise isn't simply for weight loss, rather, it is a great mood lifter, improves cardiovascular health, tones your muscles, brings down your blood pressure, improves digestion, and much more. However, do you know that there are some exercises that are not great at giving you desired results? While these exercises are fine on their own, they require a lot of effort, and seldom give results. Here are 5 such exercises you should avoid, and the ones that you should do. (source: danfounder)

Burpees became a rage in the last decade, touted as all-in-one exercise, combining squats, planks, push-ups, and jumps. However, fitness experts say they are a chaotic, high-impact movement that can strain joints and lower backs without building significant strength or burning fat effectively. Many people perform them with poor form, increasing injury risk. It is also not suitable for everyone.

What to do instead?
Jump rope is a great alternative that burns calories, improves coordination, and builds cardio with less joint stress. For full-body impact, try sled pushes or battle ropes, which are safer and just as intense.

Training on unstable surfaces like balance boards or Bosu balls is in vogue, but terribly risky, and definitely not for everyone. It mainly improves balance rather than building muscle or power. This reduced force output means less strength gain, making it ineffective for most people unless rehabbing an injury or training at an elite level.
What to do instead?
Stick to exercises on stable ground like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. These build real strength and muscle more effectively and translate better to everyday movements.

Tricep kickbacks target the triceps only, when the muscle is shortened, which is not ideal for muscle growth, and is short-sighted that way. They also fatigue joints and stabilizers more than the triceps themselves, offering a poor stimulus-to-fatigue ratio.

What to do instead?

Overhead tricep extensions and cable pushdowns work the triceps in a lengthened position, promoting better muscle growth. Diamond push-ups and close-grip push-ups are also excellent for triceps strength with less joint strain.

Sit-ups mainly engage the hip flexors rather than the abdominal muscles and can strain the lower back, since most people don't know how to d it. They also lack functional value since rarely do we need to sit up from lying down in daily life.

What to do instead?
The ab wheel roll-out is safer and more effective for core stability and strength. Planks, hollow holds, and mountain climbers engage the entire core without stressing the spine.

Running long distances to lose weight is inefficient and can cause joint damage, especially for overweight individuals. It burns calories slowly, and requires increasing duration over time to maintain results. (reaches a plateau soon) Weight loss is better managed through diet and strength training.

What to do instead?
Focus on improving your diet and building muscle through weight training to boost metabolism. Incorporate walking for low-intensity movement that burns calories and reduces stress without joint strain