"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

6 Mistakes That Sabotage Your Workout

Sticking to an exercise program is a vital commitment. It takes time, dedication, and exertions to reap advantages like stronger muscles, increased endurance, higher balance, and sharper pondering. The last item you would like to do is have your efforts suffer.

But it is simple to make exercise mistakes that find yourself hurting you, corresponding to doing an exercise that is too hard or using the incorrect technique while performing a certain move.

See in case you recognize the next exercise mistakes, and consider ways to avoid them.

1. Skip the warm-up

You must warm up your muscles in order that they are more flexible before working them out, especially as you grow old and muscles and tendons are less flexible. Older muscles can tear more easily because they’ve less water content, making them brittle and fewer flexible.

Avoid problems: Warm up your muscles for a number of minutes before exercising with repetitive movements like marching in place or doing arm circles. This brings blood, heat and oxygen to the muscles and prepares them for motion.

Move of the Month: Overhead Press

A woman performs the first step of an overhead press exercise (holding the weight at shoulder height). A woman performs the second part of the overhead press exercise (lifting the weight overhead).

Stand along with your chest lifted and shoulders back and down. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height along with your palms facing forward and elbows pointed.

Slowly raise the load straight up until your arms are fully prolonged. hold on Slowly return the dumbbells to the starting position. Do this 10 times, rest for a minute, after which do 10 more.


Exercise Photo by Thomas McDonald

2. To be inconsistent

Infrequent exercise is less effective than more frequent activity, and exercising an excessive amount of in a single session increases the danger of injury.

Avoid problems: For most individuals, the weekly goal must be 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (that gets your heart and lungs pumping) and strength training at the least twice per week. This may include vigorous exercise (at the least 50 minutes) or short aerobic exercise (at the least 20 minutes) thrice per day.

3. Carrying an excessive amount of weight

Lifting weights which might be too heavy — especially lifting too soon, in case you’re just beginning to get back right into a routine — can result in muscle strains or tears.

Avoid problems: Use lighter weights and lift them more often. Instead of 1 set of 5 or 10 lifts with a 5-pound weight, do two or three sets of 20 lifts using a 2-pound weight.

4. Do not chill out muscle groups

Working the identical muscle groups daily can result in injury. Muscles need at the least 48 hours after a strength workout to get better and rebuild.

Avoid problems: Alternate which muscle groups you’re employed day after day, corresponding to arms and shoulders on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but not on Mondays or Wednesdays.

5. Skipping on hydration

Fluids help cushion your joints and stabilize blood pressure and heart rate. Exercising causes you to lose water and electrolytes (sodium, potassium) through sweat, and this creates lactic acid in your muscles (which may cause muscle cramps).

Avoid problems: The amount of fluid to devour every day from food and drinks is determined by your body size and health needs. The National Academy of Medicine recommends about 11 cups (88 ounces) per day for ladies and 15 cups (120 ounces) for men.

If that seems steep, do not forget that all the things you drink—including water, coffee, tea, juice, and milk—counts toward that total. Eating a balanced food regimen can even contribute to your every day fluid intake. For example, eating the really helpful two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables every day can provide about 15 ounces of fluid.

6. Slouching

Exercising with a slouched posture and rounded shoulders can put you in danger for back and shoulder injuries (corresponding to muscle strains or tendinitis).

Avoid problems: Keep your shoulders down and back, your back straight, and work with a physical therapist to correct poor posture.

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Photo: © Graderies/Getty Images