Although regular exercise is good for body and soul, diving head first into an advanced exercise programme is not encouraged. It can even be dangerous if you don’t avoid some common mistakes.
If you're a beginner, your body isn’t prepared for the types of strains exercise can place on it. As a result, engaging in an exercise programme with little foresight and planning can lead to burnout, frustration and injury.
If you want to maximise your workout, it's going to take a combination of motivation and the correct information. So let's review the 10 most common mistakes that can be easily avoided.
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Skipping the warm-up. Muscles need time to adjust to the demands placed on them during exercise. Before hitting the gym or jumping into your regular cardio workout, you should take a few minutes to gently walk, cycle or whatever you choose to prepare the body for heavier activity. Breaking a light sweat will get your blood pumping, warm up muscles and ligaments, greatly reduce your risk of injury and increase the effectiveness of your workout.
- Skipping the cool-down. Due to time constraints, many people head
straight to the showers after their last repetition or as soon as the
timer on the treadmill dings. Instead, take a few minutes to lower your
heart rate close to its resting rate. This will reduce your risk of
injury and give you a few minutes to incorporate some relaxation into
your routine.
- Not stretching. Flexible muscles are far less likely to be pulled than
tight ones. Stretch before a heavy workout or after your workout as a
warm-down. Never stretch a muscle without warming up first to reduce
your risk of injury even further. Regular stretching greatly increases
your flexibility.
- Lifting too much too fast. Placing demands your muscles are not
prepared to handle is the best way to injure yourself. Gradual,
progressive resistance is a far more effective and safe way to increase
muscle strength. You should select a weight that allows you to do 10—15
repetitions. If you can’t do 10 reps, the weight is too heavy. If you
can easily do 15, then increase the weight by five percent.
- Using too light a resistance. If you are doing over 15 reps or have not
increased your resistance in over two weeks, it is time to progress. If
you want to improve, you have to keep your muscles stimulated. If you
continue to do the same weights with high reps, you will maintain your
current physique and not advance.
- Being a Weekend Warrior. The mistake of the person who tries to fit a
week's worth of exercise into a Saturday afternoon! For weight loss,
it's more effective to sustain a moderate workout for longer periods of
time than to exercise intensely for only a few minutes. For others, the
expectation that a workout must be intense to be effective can lead to
burnout or injury while others abandon their training altogether.
- Waiting until you are thirsty to drink. Only camels can go without
water! For the rest of us it's a necessity! Don’t wait until you feel
thirsty because you are already dehydrated at that point. Drink plenty
of fluids before, during and after your workout.
- Using bad form. It's much more effective to choose a lower level, speed
or weight and perform the exercise properly than it is to go too fast
or too heavy and use poor form and momentum. Lower the intensity to the
point at which you can maintain good posture. An example of poor form
would be leaning on the Stairmaster handrails or swinging the dumbbells
during a bicep curl.
- Resting too much. While it's true you don't want to overdo it, taking
too much time in between exercises can decrease the training benefits
and set you up for injury. Allow for about 30 seconds between toning
exercises -- which is usually just enough time to move to the next
station and set up. You should exercise intensely enough to work up a
light sweat, get your heart beating and feel a sense of satisfaction
for having completed your workout.
- More is better. It's not necessary to spend over an hour doing
cardiovascular exercise. Studies show that the risk of injury outweighs
the benefits after 60 minutes. Sessions of around 45 minutes most days
of the week are recommended for weight loss.
Remember, exercise is only one link to a complete programme of well-being. Mental, spiritual and psychological "workouts" are just as important. Your body will repay you! The only thing left is to just do it... safely.
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