Hey, everyone makes mistakes from time to time. The important thing is that we learn from them and make the right changes! Because ultimately, making mistakes and learning from them is what will make you a better and stronger. Check out these 5 common exercise mistakes people make—maybe one of them is stopping you from reaching your goals:
Doing a Workout You Hate
There are still quite a few people out there who believe exercise is supposed to be torture, but trust me, exercise is supposed to be fun. If you absolutely hate your workout, it becomes way too easy to find excuses not to do it. And if all you’re doing is watching the clock, it just means you’re not focused on what your body is doing and that’s really a waste of your time. So if you hate running, don’t run! And if you don’t like to dance, why are you taking Zumba? Move onto the next workout or return to something you know you enjoy. Because once you find your soulmate workout, exercise will soon become the thing that you can’t wait to do.
Overtraining
Overtraining basically means working out too much, and yes, it’s possible to work out too much! No one is exempt from this—even fitness professionals need to closely watch their own activity levels to make sure they don’t overtrain, which can lead to injury. Your body needs rest. Changes in your body actually occur during rest, not during the work. So plan one or two rest days into your week. When you’re at rest, your body is repairing and rebuilding itself stronger—it knows what you did to it, and it’s determined to be ready and better at it next time. And if you absolutely feel like your body can handle it, you can do what’s called “active rest” and do a slower-paced workout like yoga, walking, or just some light stretching.
Always Doing the Same Ole, Same Ole
Don’t worry—I’m not going to tell you to abandon your soulmate workout now. However, not only is your body smart, it’s extremely adaptable. This is one big reason people hit fitness plateaus—your body gets used to what you’re doing and eventually is no longer being challenged to change. So if you like to run, add in sprints, throw in a few push-ups while you’re waiting at a red light, or find a new route with more hills. If you’re lifting free weights, try a machine, increase the amount of weight, or find a new move that challenges the muscles in a different way. If you like group classes, make sure the instructor changes the routine on a consistent basis, and if not, take class with a different instructor or simply find a different type of class to try. You’ve got to throw your body a curveball every so often to wake it up and spark change.
You Don’t Push Your Limits
If you have to do 100 reps to finally feel the burn from those 10-pound weights, something’s wrong, and it’s not the amount of reps. It’s time to pick up heavier weights. Doing a bazillion reps of an exercise won’t give you any better results than if you just picked up some heavier weights and pushed yourself to your limit. And as women, I promise we do not have to worry about bulking up and looking like a man because we have much lower levels of testosterone. On the contrary, by lifting weights we will end up looking leaner and tighter because muscle burns fat and raises our metabolism. Yes, female bodybuilders have that muscular and ripped look, but their training regimen is much different, much more intense, and way stricter than the average woman who is just trying to get and stay fit. You don’t have to fear looking like them if that’s not what you want.
Also, when it comes to cardio, make sure you’re not just going through the motions. If you’re running, stay focused and push yourself. If you’re walking, throw in some jogging or find a big hill. If you’re in class, make your movements BIG. For your own fitness sake, go hard or go home!
Learn how High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) helps prevent the dreaded fitness plateau
Working Out Your Ego, Instead of Your Muscles
It’s fine to be inspired to go harder by others, and I can definitely understand the desire to show that you’re the better, faster and stronger, but don’t let your ego make you into a weaker (or possibly injured) athlete. Guys, at the end of the day you should be working out for YOU—not to impress anyone else. That said, you should definitely pick up the heaviest weights you can, but if you try to curl 50-pound weights and it feels like your arm is going to break off, put them down and get the 25’s before you get hurt. And if you’re in a cardio class, and you need to take a break but no one else is, it’s okay. Listen to your body and take a break! Just jump back in as soon as you can. Be smart as you progress through your workouts and you’ll be well on your way to your best shape ever!
Have you caught yourself making any of these mistakes? What changes will you make in your fitness routine to get yourself back on the right track? – Doc