If you hate sit-ups, you're in luck. They're one of the top-five exercises women should completely avoid, according to personal trainer Kristal Richardson.

    While women can tackle the same workouts as men, their joints are generally looser than a man's and "poor form and too much weight can lead to stiff joints or even damage." Here are five exercises that Richardson says women should avoid.

    Don't do straight leg push-ups.Push-ups often are the culprit of neck, lower back, elbow and shoulder pain.

    Instead try:Push-ups on your knees. Focus on where you place your hands to make sure you're working the chest. You can also try the dumbbell bench press instead for toning the chest and shoulders. Lie flat on your back and, with arms straight up and dumbbells in hand, slowly lower the arms to just past a 90-degree angle or until you feel a slight stretch in your chest. Repeat three sets of 10 reps.

    Don't do sit-ups. If you lock your hands behind your head, it can cause a torque in the spine, which ultimately leads to neck pain, she says. Remember sit-ups are different from "crunches." When you do a sit-up, you bring your torso up 90 degrees, so your back is off the floor. A crunch has a limited range of motion; you raise your torso about 45 degrees and your lower back will still be on the floor.

    Instead try:Bicycle crunches, which are considered one of the most effective abdominal workouts. Lie on your back, place your hands next to your ears and start a pedaling motion with your legs, lifting the left shoulder to the right knee and vice versa. Try three sets of 10.

    Don't do weighted squats.Squats with a weight bar on your back build serious bulk in the rear end and upper thighs, places women are most likely looking to trim down, said Richardson.

    Instead try:Lunges, which "don't place nearly as much stress on the lower back and distribute the workout throughout the entire leg," she said. Take a long, even stride forward with one leg. Be sure to keep your knee at a 90-degree angle with your foot for support. If you have bad knees, try doing a reverse lunge by stepping backward.

    Don't do behind-the-neck shoulder presses.This exercise strains the shoulders, both on the way down and up. The little muscles on the top of your shoulders work too hard and become inflamed, causing "weight lifter's shoulder," she said.

    Instead try:Seated shoulder presses. "Hold a pair of dumbbells overhead with your arms straight and palms facing each other," she said. "Then, bend your right elbow and lower your right arm, moving your elbow out to the side until your upper arm is parallel with the floor." Press back up and repeat with your right arm for three sets of 12 reps with each arm.

    Don't do standing dead lifts.Since women are typically more flexible than men and can bend down farther, it puts even greater stress on their legs and lower back. It also results in bulky back, leg and rear-end muscles.

    Instead try:Leg kick-backs. Facing a wall, stabilize yourself with your arms and kick your right leg back as far as you can. Repeat 10 times, then do the same with your left leg. Try two sets.

    個人健身教練列出五項女性應該避免的運動和其替代運動。

    如果你討厭仰臥起坐，那么你就走運了。根據個人健身教練克里斯塔爾·理查森的說法，仰臥起坐是女性應該徹底避免的頭五項運動之一。

    盡管女性能應付和男性一樣的訓練強度，但她們的關節通常會比男性的松弛，并且不當的動作和太多的負荷會導致強直性關節。以下是理查森認為女性應該避免的五項運動。

    不要做直腿俯臥撐。俯臥撐經常會引起脖子、下背、肘部和肩部的疼痛。

    替代的運動：跪著做俯臥撐。注意你放手的地方，確定你是放在胸膛上。為了使你的胸腔和肩部更強健，你也可以嘗試啞鈴臺式壓床。即你的背部平躺下來，然后，手里拿著啞鈴，手臂直豎，慢慢地放下手臂，但是只要超過90度就行，（維持這個姿勢）直到你感覺到胸膛有點拉緊。重復做三組，每組動作做10次。

    不要做仰臥起坐。理查森說，如果你把你的手固定在腦袋后面，這可以引起脊椎的扭轉，最終會導致脖子疼痛。記住仰臥起坐不同于"緊縮".當你做仰臥起坐時，你會帶動你的上半身上升90度，所以你的背會離開地板。而緊縮只是有個有限的關節活動度；你上半身上升約45度，然后你的腰部還在地板上。

    替代的運動：自行車緊縮被認為是最有效的腹部訓練之一。你的背部平躺下來，把你的手放在你耳朵附近，然后用你的腿開始一個踩踏板的動作，并且提起左肩與右膝相接，反之亦然（提高右肩與左膝接觸）.做三組，每組十次。

    不要做蹲舉。理查森說，蹲坐著時在背上舉個重錘桿，這樣會在臀部和大腿上長明顯的肉塊，但這些地方都是女性更希望能瘦下來的。

    替代的運動：理查森說："弓箭步，它不用在腰部使太大的力氣，也能分發鍛煉到整個大腿。"用一條腿邁出一個往前的大步。要確定用你的腳去支撐你的膝蓋，并使膝蓋維持在90度。如果你的膝蓋不好，可以試著倒著走來做一個倒退的弓箭步。

    不要做頸后肩膊推舉。她說："這個訓練會拉緊肩部，既向下拉緊又向上拉緊。你肩膀上部的小肌肉運動強度太大了，會發炎的，并且引起"舉重肩膀"（即負荷過重）."

    替代的運動：靜坐肩上推。"用你的手臂垂直地把一對啞鈴高舉過頭，雙掌互相對著",她說，"然后彎下你的右肘，放下你的右臂，往外移動你的肘，直到你的上臂和地板平行。"重復地推，并用你的右臂重做。每個手臂做三組，每組12次。

    不要做站立靜止的舉重。因為女性向來比男性更靈活，可以進一步地俯身，這就更加重了在他們大腿和腰部上的壓力。這也會導致笨重的背部、大腿和屁股肌肉。

    替代的運動：向后踢腿。面對著一面墻，用你的手臂固定你自己，然后盡可能遠地往后踢你的右腿。重復10次，然后用你的左腿做同樣的動作。做兩組。