9 Common Workout Mistakes To Avoid

By Chandana Rao

Thursday, March 1, 2018, 19:03

If you are someone who is determined to get healthier and fitter, then you would be doing all the things required to attain this goal, such as eating healthy and working out, right?

As we know, exercising is one of the best ways to get fitter, whether you want to lose weight or gain muscle mass.

In fact, any form of exercising can help improve and maintain our health effectively, by preventing and treating numerous diseases.

To remain healthy and fit for a longer period of time, one has to practice a combination of balanced diet and a regular exercise routine.

Now, if you have already been working out at the gym in order to get healthier and be fitter, but you are not seeing any results, then it could surely cause a lot of frustration.

This could be happening because of a few workout mistakes that you could be making, which are hampering your fitness routine!

Here are some of the most common workout mistakes to avoid, if you want to see results!

1. Socialising At The Gym

While it is true that gyms, Zumba classes, etc., could be places where you can find like-minded people who can become friends or more, overtly socialising at exercise centres, it could distract you from your workouts and waste your time at the gym, thus making your workout sessions ineffective. This habit can also reduce the intensity of the workout, as a lot of breaks will be taken while trying to socialise.

2. Not Warming Up

Practicing the warm-up stretches is one of the most important steps of any exercise routine, be it lifting weights, cardio, yoga, dance and so on. Warm-up exercises and stretches allow your body to prepare itself for the intense workout which is to follow. In addition, warming up prevents injuries, premature fatigue and muscle cramps, as they condition your muscles before the workout.

3. Misusing The Equipment

If you have been to a gym or a pilates centre, you will know that there are numerous types of exercise machines and equipment, which come with specific functions. If you are a beginner, you will surely need the help of a trainer to understand the uses of different equipment. If exercise equipment are wrongly used, your workout may not be as effective or it could also cause an injury.

4. Not Lifting Weights

Many a times, a lot of people who enrol themselves in a gym for weight loss purposes stick to just cardio exercises such as running on the treadmill, cycling, etc. However, an effective weight loss routine at the gym must be a combination of both weight-lifting and cardio. Sticking to just one of the two forms of exercises may not help you in losing weight effectively, as your metabolism can only increase when both of them are practised.

5. Not Planning Your Routine

When you start an exercise routine, you must have a fixed workout plan for every day of the week, which must be planned ahead, so that, when you go to the gym, you know exactly what you are doing. This way, your workout can be more intense and will prevent you from taking breaks to decide on what exercise you are going to do next.

6. Overdoing Exercises

Even though you are on a strict exercise routine, which is intense, because you want to see results quickly, your body still needs a break and time to recover. Overdoing exercises and tiring yourself out can also make your workout ineffective because your body is not getting enough time to recover. So, understanding the limits of your body is important.

7. Not Changing Your Routine

When you follow the same workout routine, which involves the same exercises all day, for more than a month, especially at the gym, then it can be ineffective and you may stop seeing results. This is because, the muscles get tuned to the workout routine and they stop working hard after a point. If you keep changing your workout routine, your muscles have to keep working hard to adjust to them often.

8. Missing Workouts

This is a given, because missing out on a routine or a plan, not just with exercise, could prove to be ineffective. For example, if you are not eating healthy, all days of the week, you will not get healthier. Similarly, if you skip going to the gym for more than a few days in a week, it can be very hard to see any positive results!

9. Not Drinking Water At The Gym

We already know that a normal person must drink at least 2 litres of water in a day to remain healthy. Most of us also know that drinking water before and after a workout session is a must. However, not many of us drink water during workouts, in between the sets. This habit of sipping in water, between sets, can help keep you energised throughout the workout and aid a faster recovery of muscles.