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The 3 Most Common Workout Mistakes
When you invest the time in exercising, you want to see the bestresults possible but sometimes exercisers unknowingly handicapthemselves by hidden mistakes. These errors are typicallyundiscovered until pointed out, which is why it is important tobe aware of potential mistakes in order to avoid them. Let’sdiscuss the most common mistakes that occur during workouts andhow to avoid making them. Poor PostureThis is probably the all-time worst offender. Bad posture whileyou exercise means that you’re probably not getting the fullbenefit of your workout, and opens the door for pain andstiffness later. This is also referred to as “having properalignment” and means keeping your spine in the best positionpossible (typically a neutral stance with shoulders back andhead held high). When your body is out of alignment, it canprevent you from getting the most out of your exercise – pooralignment in abdominal crunches will not only give you aneck-ache but also work the wrong muscles and potentially bulkup your stomach instead of flattening it! Many trainersrecommend imagining a string attached to the top of your headand pulling your body straight to help keep good posture.Slumping and hunching over may give you some relief initiallybut standing up straight provides the best support for the bodyand feels most secure. If you need helping remembering to checkyour posture during your workout, write a note to yourself andput it in a pocket or attach it to a piece of workout equipmentto jog your memory. Wearing the Wrong Shoes or No Shoes At All!Exercising without the proper footwear is only setting yourselfup for future suffering! There is a reason why shoes aredesignated as being for running, walking, or cross-training, andit’s not just to sucker you out of the most money. Each activitydemands different things of your feet and the shoes are designedspecifically to support the areas of the foot that undergo themost stress. You won’t feel any immediate effects from wearingwalking shoes while running but in the long run some problemswill surface. If you participate in a variety of sports andactivities, the best choice is probably a cross-training shoe,which aims to support multiple areas of the foot. Go to yourlocal shoe store and when the salesperson asks if you needassistance, take him up on it! Describe to him your typicalworkout and the frequency, and he should be able to recommend asturdy shoe that fits your needs. This may not be cheapest shoebut it shouldn’t necessarily be the most expensive either. Ifyou are unsure about the recommendation, visit another shoestore for a second opinion. As for exercising barefoot, the only time this is appropriate iswhen you are exercising in sand! All other surfaces simply placetoo much stress on the foot to be acceptable. Do yourself afavor and buy the right shoes for your workout – your feet willthank you!Overestimating the IntensityToo often exercisers overestimate the intensity of workouts andcredit themselves a little too much. The right intensity ispurely an individual decision but a good general guideline is totry to carry on a conversation. If you can speak in shortsentences with a breath after each one, you’re in the generalarea. Needing a breath after each word is the high end of theintensity range, but you should never exercise so hard that youcan’t speak. That’s a dangerous situation and if you feelyourself becoming unable to communicate, slow down immediatelyand allow your body to return to normal. Pushing your body to the high end of its intensity helps revyour metabolism and burn more calories. Don’t get comfortable inyour workout and assume that your efforts are enough, becausebecoming complacent can seriously slow down your weight loss.Make it a point to push yourself to work hard and your body willreward you with increased aerobic capacity and decreased fat andweight. Many trainers suggest purchasing a heart rate monitorthat can accurately identify when you are working within yourtarget heart range. This can be a useful tool but the best toolof all is your own personal assessment of how hard you think youare working.
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