You are exercising, yet the results are not as you expected. It is possible that the strategy you chose for a slim silhouette and a healthy body is affected by a number of harmful habits that can thwart efforts during training. Here are ten most common mistakes while exercising.
1. Long and slow training sessions
A slow pace is not exactly the recipe for success during sports training, regardless of the time spent doing it. Even if any kind of movement that works your muscles is healthy, it does not bring the same results that supported training can provide. Using time at maximum efficiency in fitness is an important principle to keep. Thus, instead of giving 75 % for one hour, it is more efficient to get involved 100 % in a half-hour workout with intense exercises and small breaks for 15-30 seconds.
2. Unnecessary breaks during training
Many people come to the gym without a well-established training program. For this reason, they use devices intuitively and take breaks between exercises, checking the mobile phone, arranging the hair in the mirror and talking to other people. If you want to see results, come to the gym with a well-developed schedule. Intense and continuous stimulation of the muscles is the only way to quickly get in shape and build a satisfactory physical condition.
3. Excess cardio, too little strength exercises
Cardio exercises such as running, cycling or jogging, offers great advantage to quickly burn calories, but their effect is limited to the period in which they are made. On the other hand, strength exercises increase your heart rate, burn calories and develop muscle mass. Muscle mass means a faster metabolism and a constant rate of fat burning. The best results are obtained by combining cardio with strength.
4. Hydrating with sports drinks
If you are not doing sports for performance, it is recommended to avoid sports drinks. They are full of sugar and calories, which does not justify the nutritional needs of people doing sport at a moderate level. If you feel the need to energize, eat a healthy snack, high in proteins, 45 minutes prior to training.
5. Repeating similar exercises over long periods of time
Another bad habit during sports training is repeating the same exercise every time. At one point, the body becomes accustomed to certain movements, they perform more easily, thus burning fewer calories. When you combine the exercises performed and add new ones in practice, this will force the body to work harder, thus burning more calories. In addition, the risk of monotony is excluded too.
6. Avoiding training with others
Up to a point, exercising alone can be enjoyable and desirable. In time, your own company is not as motivating. When you exercise with a partner, the climate becomes more alert and it increases competitiveness.
7. Maintaining a wrong body posture during running
Give up any habit that will cause you to change body posture when running, like turning your head towards the TV in the fitness room or checking your cell phone while jogging. The risk of injury, muscle and other such incidents do not increase when moving in a proper posture. Moreover, a sudden change in body position during an exercise, especially bending, limits the much needed oxygen supply.
8. Loss of concentration
When you work your body, the mind is important to be involved in the process. An effective exercise requires you to know exactly what you do, to assess posture and diversify body movements.
9. Insufficient stretching
A mistake made by a large number of people is insufficiently warming the body before exercise, which can lead to muscle pain and injuries. Five or ten minutes of stretching movements are enough to prepare your body for muscular effort. For each of us, maintaining mobility and avoiding bodily pain should be a priority before the actual training.
10. Descending from the treadmill while running
Another bad habit of people doing exercise at the gym is that they tend to get off the treadmill while it is still working. Even if your move saves time, most people do not have a good enough body coordination to avoid injuries. The safest way is to get off the treadmill after it has stopped completely.