P90X is a series of 12 exercise DVDs that bases its success on “muscle confusion.” 1 It is thought that by changing up the exercise routine daily, your body does not get a chance to adapt. Therefore, the body burns more fat and builds more muscle.1 Each DVD starts with a warm up, followed by a circuit training routine, and then finishes with a cool down. One of the key things to remember is that these DVDs are intended for a healthy population that has already been working out. If you have not worked out in years and have spent the last several months having more of a sedentary lifestyle, this is NOT the workout series you want to jump into. Doing so would likely result in injury.
Unfortunately, as physical therapists, we see many people at our clinics that come to us after doing P90X. Some reasons include doing too much too soon, poor body mechanics, or aggravation of an old injury. First, as mentioned above, this is meant for a population that has been exercising, so you need to do the intro fitness test before starting the DVDs that is included with this series. If you can’t pass the fitness test, you likely need to do other exercise to prepare your body for P90X. Second, you need to be aware of your body mechanics and posture during all of the movements. If you don’t have a good understanding of a proper squat, lunge, push-up, etc., you could end up hurting yourself.
Improper Squat Proper Squat
Since this is a circuit series, the repetitive nature of this type of exercise can cause aggravation to old injuries or even cause new injuries if not completed correctly. This would be a great opportunity to contact your physical therapist to review these mechanics to assure that you are in the correct position. Lastly, you need to listen to your body. Do NOT push through pain or push past the point where you cannot maintain good form; this can lead to joint pain, tendonitis, or muscle strains which, in turn, will result in you not being able to tolerate any kind of exercise for an extended period of time.
Although P90X is not for everyone, it does have great potential to burn calories and help the already active and exercising individual get into better shape. A 2011 study took 16 healthy subjects 19-26 years old that exercised regularly through four of the P90X DVDs over several weeks. The results showed that P90X, in combination with a healthy diet, meets or in some instances exceeds fitness standards for losing weight and improving cardiorespiratory fitness.
Obviously, there are a million different ways to exercise: P90X, yoga, zumba, machines, weights, jogging, Tai Chi, and the list can go on and on. You need to find the best way to exercise with the least detrimental effects on your body. Some people are in good enough shape and have a good understanding of proper form with exercise positions, so P90X is a great challenge and addition to your workout regimen. However, for those of you on the other end of the spectrum, you might want to try a less intense workout DVD and progress to P90X over time to prevent injury. If you want to learn about proper mechanics with exercise you should come visit us and we will be able to show you the correct way to exercise to avoid injury.
Have you ever tried P90X before? If so, what was your experience?
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