The Top 10 Most Common
Fitness Mistakes
(and How to Avoid Them)
Having a regular exercise program is an important part of
staying fit, but people frequently make mistakes that sabotage their hard work
and keep their efforts from being as effective as they could be. Below is a
list of ten of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to working
out.
1) Not
having a specific plan or goal. Just going to the gym for the sake of working
out may help you blow off some steam or burn some calories, but not having a specific
plan is a recipe for failure. You’ve
probably seen some of these indecisive people at the gym who appear to be just hanging out.
The Solution-Determine
your goals and objectives first so you can develop a program that will address
those issues and help you accomplish those objectives. Then you can get in and get out without
worrying about what you should do once you get there.
2) Having
an incomplete fitness program. Your workout program should
address strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, flexibility, and stress
management. These different components
don’t need to be incorporated in every workout, but you will want to make sure
you are not completely omitting any of these areas from your program. You don’t
want to be the muscle guy or gal who can’t run for a minute without getting
winded or the cardio fanatic who can’t do 10 pushups.
The Solution-Take a
closer look at your workout and assess if there are some aspects of fitness you
are completely neglecting. Incorporate
those components of fitness into your daily activity so you can get more
balanced results.
3) Overtraining. This
is especially common when someone is just starting a program and is gung ho. If you go too hard and overdo it on your first
few workouts, it can be discouraging and painful. I really messed up my knees by training for a
marathon for just over two months, as opposed to allowing sufficient time to
build up my exercise load gradually. Overtraining is also common among serious
athletes who exercise too frequently or too hard without giving their body the
needed time to recuperate and recover.
The Solution- Give
yourself time to build up and ease into a new program by making gradual
progress. You don’t want to burn out or
get injured, so allow your body time to adapt to the new stresses you are
placing on it. You also need to remember
to get enough rest. If you are overtraining
or putting too much stress on your body, skipping a workout and giving your
body enough time to heal can actually be beneficial.
4) Underestimating
the Importance of Nutrition. You can’t exercise your way out of poor
nutrition. Intense exercise breaks the
body down, and you need to eat a healthy diet that will give your body the
building blocks required to become even stronger. What kind of fuel are you using to run your
body? If it’s empty calories coming from junk food or highly refined food, then
you are asking your body to perform an impossible task.
The Solution- Many
people work so hard exercising but sabotage their efforts with poor nutrition. Give your body the nutrients it needs. Remember that nutrition is even more important than your physical activity, in fact, many fitness experts believe the results you get are 70% nutrition and 30%
exercise.
5) Having
Unrealistic Expectations. Are you trying to lose 35 pounds in a
month? It took you time to get out of shape, and it will take you some time to
get back into shape. We live in a
society that tells us that we should look like fitness models and have six-pack
abs. That is simply not realistic for most people, but we can all make improvements
and be our healthiest selves.
The
Solution- You need to take into account your current condition,
genetics, commitment level, and other factors when setting goals and
determining expectations. Having realistic expectations will keep you from
getting discouraged. Gradual or slow progress is still exciting as long as you
are going in the right direction.
6) Not
Being Accountable. It’s way too easy to talk yourself out of
previously set goals when things gets difficult, but you are much more likely
to stick to your program when you are accountable to someone else. The single most important service a trainer
provides is accountability. If you are
going to make lasting changes, then you have to be determined to change, and
this is accomplished much more easily and faster if you have others supporting
you in your efforts.
The
Solution- Enlist the help of a workout partner, friend, or
trainer. Having someone who is willing
to support you in your efforts and hold you to what you said makes a huge difference. Sharing your goals and commitments with others can be very motivating,
but just make sure you don’t share your goals with people who don’t believe in
you or who don’t care if you succeed.
7) Failing
to Periodize Your Workout. Your body adapts quickly to change, so if
you are in an exercise rut and do the same routine every time you workout, you
will stop making progress. Not only does
doing the exact same exercise all the time keep you from getting ahead, it is
also monotonous and can make exercise a dreaded experience.
The
Solution- Change the variables of your workout occasionally by
adjusting to the duration, intensity, frequency, and type of exercise. Instead
of always opting for the treadmill, do some cardio work on a stair stepper,
bike, or jumping rope instead in order to add some variety. Doing so will allow your body to continue to
progress and will make your workout more interesting.
8) Not
Warming Up or Cooling Down. The warm up and cool down part of an
exercise program may not seem as glamorous or fun as actually working out, but
don’t ignore them. They are important to help your body adjust prior to
exercise and to help you avoid injury. These
activities obviously help your body prepare for a workout, but they also help
your mind get focused and ready, too.
The
Solution- Spend a few minutes before you exercise warming up and
remember to cool down afterwards. Remember that stretching is most effective after
a workout when your body is still warm and pliable.
9) Using
Improper Technique. Using poor form will not isolate the muscles
you are trying to focus on. Bad form can
be dangerous and may also cause injury. I used to think you could learn proper form by
watching what others are doing at the gym, but lots of people have horrible form when working out. Although you can still get stronger and get
results with poor technique, doing so with proper form will be more effective,
safer, and make your efforts more productive.
The Solution- Invest
in several sessions with a trainer to make sure you learn safe and effective
form. Once you learn the basic habits
you will be much better off. Remember, the
mirrors at the gym aren’t just there for the narcissists to check themselves
out. Observe your form as you perform exercises to make sure your technique is
correct.
10) Kidding Yourself. The 11th
commandment is “Thou shalt not kid thyself.” Most people underestimate the amount of
calories they consume and overestimate their activity level. When I feel like
I’m doing everything right but not getting the results I want, usually after
closer examination I find I have just been going through the motions and have
not been very strict with my program.
The Solution-
Be
honest with yourself. Taking the stairs
instead of the elevator will not burn off the cupcakes you had at lunch, and
ketchup and fries don’t count as two servings of vegetables! Be honest and
accurate with what you are doing. We all
know deep down inside if we are giving our best or just faking it.
I know these 10 mistakes are real and can
make a big difference because I have been guilty of making all of these mistakes over
time and still struggle with some of them today. Identify which of these things may be holding
you back and work on improving them. Remember not to beat yourself up or get
discouraged, but just keep on making more improvements each day so your
workouts will be much more effective.
