According to the Los Angeles spine surgeon, data shows that annually, over 60% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions to get into shape.  However, the end result is often an emergency room visit.

People can be too over anxious to get quick results, and sacrifice safety for quick results. This alarming new development inevitably leads to skyrocketed amounts of trips to the emergency room. To coincide with the increased gym memberships, over 60,000 people get admitted into ER because of improper exercise techniques. As a result, Dr Hooman Melamed, board certified physician, has compiled a list of excellent tips to keep gym workouts safe and to keep people who exercise out of the emergency room. He says that the biggest reason people end up in the emergency room when working out is that people simply aren’t patient enough. They want to get immediate results and thus often push themselves beyond their physical limits.

Dr. Melamed has compiled a list of techniques to keep people out of the emergency room when exercising.

Elliptical machine: When using the elliptical machine, people tend to get lazy and lose form.  Often times, they will start to hunch over while looking at their mobile device. Losing form while exercising inevitably leads to repetitive traumas that don’t become apparent until later on. To avoid this, make sure you maintain proper posture.

Kettle Bells: There is a tendency for people to swing their arms and use jerking motions so they can lift more than the proper amount. Dr. Melamed suggest finding a weight that is right for you, and incorporating proper lifting techniques while not trying to overexert yourself.

Squats: Often people use bad form, and have their knees too far out ahead of their bodies. Also, they tend to dip way too far down. In this exercise, form is critical. Keep your back straight and locked and keep your knees under your body. Lastly, don’t squat too far down.

Crunches: The biggest mistake people make when doing crunches is they tend to utilize a jerking motion that can cause injury. It is recommended that you keep the motions fluid, and also concentrate on multiple exercises when working the stomach. Don’t rely solely on crunches as that can cause injury.