While it’s true that everyone needs to exercise to be in the possible health, it’s easy to overdo it. And while you’re overdoing it, you’re not observing proper form, or approaching exercise in a systematic way that derives its full benefit to your body.
This post is going to provide a list of common exercise errors. If you recognize something here that you’ve been doing, fear not. I’m going to help you correct it, so you can get the most from an exercise regime that supports your overall health.
Record-keeping
Think it’s not important to keep track of your progress? Think again. Keeping track is an encouraging habit that lets you see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve gained, along the way.
Record-keeping should include notations on your heart rate. Check this 15 minutes to an hour after you’ve completed your exercise routine. You’ll see that your heart rate will be going down over time and a healthy heart is one of the primary indicators of overall health and fitness.
Goals?
Most people start an exercise program with loosely defined goals like “lose weight”, or “run a marathon”.
Set a timeline for the achievement that’s realistic. It takes time to reach both goals noted above and tracking your progress with your record-keeping habit means you’ll be much more likely to reach your goals.
Be honest. You know that without clearly defined goals, you’re probably going slide right back into your sedentary lifestyle. Challenge yourself!
The rest rule
Your body needs rest as much as it needs exercise. There’s always the temptation to go at it hammer and tongs, but that’s the wrong approach, especially if you’re strength-training.
Work the various muscle groups on consecutive days, to give other muscles the rest they need. Have an arm day, a chest day, a leg day, etc. This may seem counterintuitive, but your muscles will thank you and you’ll make better progress.
Nutrition
They say you are what you eat, but when you’re serious about exercise, you need to eat well. That means fruit, vegetables and protein (with a capital “P”).
Protein helps you build muscle mass and lose fat. Keep it lean.
Think about your breathing
This is a big one for those new to exercise. Improper breathing prevents your muscles from getting the blood and oxygen they need to do their best work for you. If you catch yourself holding your breath, spend some time training yourself not to do that.
A good rule of thumb for breathing while exercising is to breathe out for effort and breathe in at the low point of exertion.
Runners should seek to breathe as steadily as possible – in through the nose, out through the mouth. Breathing rhythmically is a good support to cardio-vascular activity which feeds the muscles and helps you set the right pace.
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