Workout or exercise mistakes are very common and can be easily overlooked because of the vast amount of information available online concerning when and how to exercise. These mistakes will not only prevent you from getting a good and effective workout but they can also lead to increased pain, risk injury, and cause undue stress.
- Doing the Same Type of Exercise Everyday: It is absolutely recommended that you engage in 20–30 minutes of exercise each day; however, you should avoid doing the same type of exercise on consecutive days. When you work the same muscle groups every day it can lead to overtraining and cause muscle imbalances. Each muscle group needs adequate rest & recovery days in order to operate more efficiently.
- Skipping the Warm-Up: Often times being extremely busy and wanting to hurry to finish a workout leads to you jumping right into your workout without doing a warm-up. This is a big no-no. The purpose of the warm-up is to get your blood warmed and circulated through the body. If you skip the warm-up, there is a great chance that your muscles are cold and your chances of injury will increase greatly. When you are pressed for time, try shortening the main workout instead of the warm-up. If necessary you can try several short workouts throughout the day.
- Starting the Workout with Stretches: Starting your workout before performing any initial exercise to get the blood flowing means that your muscles are cold. You should think of your muscles like rubber bands. If you stretch a cold rubber band it will most likely pop, but as soon as you warm it up there is more elasticity in the rubber band. The same rule goes for your muscles. You can avoid injury by warming up your muscles first, then stretching them.
- Exercising on an Empty Stomach: Your body breaks down food and uses it as fuel to complete small daily tasks and large tasks like exercising. You must eat before working out. The key is to give your body 30 minutes to digest the food and to choose food that contain carbohydrates (which is the body’s main source of energy) and a small bit of protein.
Working Out in Old Shoes: Your body needs a certain amount of support and shock absorption when you are exercising. Working out in worn-out shoes does not give you this support and can lead to leg, back, and knee pain. You should replace your shoes after about 500 miles of use or prior to that if they begin to feel uncomfortable. Often times you might find sports or running shoe stores that can help you pick a great shoe for your exercise regimen.
Kimberly Y. Fleming is the founder of the blog Keep It Moving Fitness where she provides free and printable home workouts. She released her debut fitness DVD Keep Moving at Home to teach effective workouts that can be done right in your living room.
