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If you’re here you know the importance and the physical & mental benefits of exercise. Working out regularly strengthens the muscles and bones, improves cardiovascular health, and boosts memory. It reduces stress and helps you sleep better. What more could you ask for?
But all good things come at a price. You can reap the health benefits of exercise if you do it right and emphasize on form and technique. Evidently, just sweating it out any which way is not enough. You might have been doing some things wrong without even knowing it. And that’s the thing; it takes performing exercises consciously to get them right.
It’s all good as long as you enjoy the routine you practice and reach your goals. But it takes trying different workout routines before the one that suits you best. Join FITPASS and attend any workout session at 3,500+ gyms and fitness studios near you.
10 Common Workout Mistakes
You won’t be doing yourself any favors by skipping the necessary cardio workout or over exhausting yourself. According to experts, doing cardio for 30-45 minutes is enough to burn fat without the chances of an injury. Don’t push yourself too much; keep your heart rate at around 70% of the target heart rate. Overdoing it might lead to you losing muscle mass.
Running is not the best way to lose weight. While it will help you lose weight, it will also decrease your muscle mass. Instead of running, try to include other forms of low-impact cardio exercises in your regime. Moreover, excessive running can affect the joints as well; you should stop at once if you experience radiating pain in your joints, especially knees. Running benefits the cardiovascular system but you can get them with other exercises as well.
Muscles and connective tissues are like rubber bands that can snap when they are cold. However, if they are warmed up, they are much more elastic and flexible. The activity of warming up serves the purpose of preparing your muscles and organs like the heart and lungs for a workout. This reduces the risk of injuries, improves blood flow, and facilitates good physical activity. Improved blood circulation improves the range of motion, which in turn, enhances speed, strength, and endurance.
There is almost no point in working out if you do not increase the intensity of your workout gradually. For example, you can only reap the benefits of weight training if you choose a weight that challenges your muscles and are able to do 8-12 reps with it in each set. For the best results, follow the proper technique. Working out causes pain and soreness; the idea is to build tolerance and keep on practicing. Write down your goals and progress but remember your limits. Finally, notice how your body responds to the workout and workout accordingly.
No matter how hard you worked out one day, there’s no point if you’re going to be absent the next day. Similarly, you should try several workout routines before you commit to a routine to reach your goals. Consistency should be followed by a technique that suits your fitness level and helps you achieve your goals. Running will help you lose weight but you will have to stay consistent to gain stamina and endurance. If your goal is to get rid of body fat, you should go for HIIT sessions or other forms of resistance training that uses barbells, kettlebells or dumbbells. These regimens, especially HIIT is a proven form to get the best results quickly.
Getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night is essential for you to perform well at the fitness center. Sleeping well doesn’t only make you energetic; it helps in muscle growth and recovery. Moreover, sleeping well helps you control hunger by keeping a check on your hormones. You are more likely to get sick if you don’t sleep well; getting enough sleep strengthens the immune system, improves memory & mood, and almost every other aspect of health. Therefore, scheduling your day around your sleeping hours is a good idea.
Training on an empty stomach won’t do you any favors. Having food on time is essential; you should have something 45-60 minutes before a workout, which gives you the necessary boost and prevents the flow of blood to the stomach for digestion. If this happens, your body doesn’t get enough oxygen while exercising. You can have fresh fruits, boiled eggs, oatmeal or other sources of carbs and protein but don’t overeat. Eating after a workout is equally important for muscle growth and recovery.
The body gets stressed when you exercise as your body temperature rises. Drinking fluids reduces this stress, which is why dehydration can decrease your performance. Moreover, fluids lubricate joints in addition to reducing inflammation. Fluids, especially water transport nutrients at all the parts of the body, which improves your workout performance. Moreover, drinking plenty of water flushes out toxins and other metabolic wastes. Apart from drinking fluids, eat water-rich foods like cucumber, oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, cantaloupes, etc. If you workout particularly hard, it is best to have a drink that contains electrolytes – potassium and sodium.
If you overexert yourself, your body will be unable to heal itself and rejuvenate by the time you go for the next workout. If you don’t take enough time for recovery you’ll witness fitness burnouts and might get injured quite easily. The actual growth of the muscles takes place on the rest days. Schedule your rest days accordingly besides dividing workouts to enhance performance and recovery. Splitting means working different sets of muscles on different days like chest and shoulders on Monday, back and biceps on Tuesday, legs on Wednesday, etc. You can take a rest day every 2-3 days.
You compromise on the health benefits of exercise if you don’t have a set plan because you might end up wasting time. Have a set goal includes making the most of your time and “listening to your body”. Always set a particular time for a workout instead of exercising whenever you feel like it, which will account for many missed workouts. Put it on a calendar to remind yourself of the goal you have set. Don’t miss out unless there’s no way around it. Workout for at least 30 minutes 4 days a week.
Don’t take your phone with you while your workout and work with professional trainers only.
