Ten common mistakes people make during workouts

Ten common mistakes people make during workouts

1. Simple abdominal crunches

When performing abdominal crunches, most people put their hands either at the back of their heads or stretch them straight. Contrary to popular belief, this method is actually very harmful. It creates an unsafe amount of torque on the neck and this could lead to neck pain, shoulder pain, disc bulging and even spinal injuries.

Instead, one should opt for reverse crunches which are very easy to perform and highly effective. Lie on the ground with your back against the floor. Place your arms under your back for support and bend your knees such that your feet are flat against the floor. Pull your knees towards your chest while maintaining the same position. This will contract your stomach muscles and it is a less-stress alternative method.

2. Too much running

Running is the most common form of exercise and is a good form of cardio-vascular exercise. However, due to its repetitive nature, it has a tendency to cause overuse type injuries. This especially occurs to the feet, legs, lower extremities and spine. Medics advise steady increase in distance and pace over time.

3. Lack of enough intensity workout

Most people hang around the gym for like an hour or so with an effort to use every single equipment but end up not breaking a single sweat. The unspoken goals of working out are either to burn calories or to gain muscle. These cannot be achieved if no actual work is put into it. It is better to do intense work out for 30-40 mins rather than hang around the gym for an hour. The intensity makes calories burn faster and also increases stamina in all activities. It also gives you peace of mind whenever you want to eat that extra slice of pie.

4. Choosing the wrong workout routine

Exercising is a whole lot like sex, if you’re not having fun then you’re not doing it right!

5. Ignoring rest days

This is one of the most important parts of a workout routine. After working out, your muscles need strength to repair and strengthen. Ignoring rest days could also lead to injuries due to a lot of pressure on your body. Always take a rest day after every 3-4 days of simultaneous workouts.

6. Not enough variety in workouts

Having the same workout exercises causes risks that go beyond injury alone. You need to change your workouts through different exercises, intensity, routines, sets, reps etc. These aspects need to be changed every 4-6 weeks in order to make gains and avoid injury.

7. Setting unrealistic goals

When setting workout goals, they have to be realistically achievable and spread over a period of reasonable time. It is not abnormal to see someone starting to work out a month before their trip to the beach. Do not try to achieve the impossible. You cannot begin preparations for a marathon a week before the actual race. Working out is a lifestyle choice that will not only help your body but also improve your health in the long run. You should therefore set a realistic goal starting with smaller steps and gradually progressing without feeling frustrated.

8. Not hydrating enough

Dehydration has been proven to be one of the most leading reasons for stalled healing. You need to re-hydrate during and after workouts. Dehydration can have negative effects on endurance, power, mental sharpness and many more. You need to always watch your sweat loss and replace every pound with three pounds of water.

9. Static stretching before a workout

Stretching can be damaging if done before workouts. This is because your muscles stretch to their weakness point and remain static which can cause injuries during workouts. It is advised to do your stretching after workouts and instead do a warm up before in order to get your blood running, joints lubricated and improve flexibility.

10. Listening too much to ‘outside voices’

If you’ve been reading what’s on the internet, you’ll probable notice that all the ‘experts’ do not seem to agree on the best diet for workouts. What you need to do is to shut all those outside voices out and listen to your own. You know your body well enough therefore you know what you need and what you don’t need. Simply do what works for you! If you need help seek it from an ACTUAL professional.

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exercise Gym Work out

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