While exercise is accessible to everyone, it can be difficult for newcomers to figure out and master without guidance. Planning out your routine, finding the right equipment, and ensuring you have good form and the best practices during your workout are all crucial factors necessary to get the results you crave. To steer you in the right direction, here are the top 3 workout mistakes to avoid.
Skipping Your Warmup
Sometimes it can be tempting to skip your warmup and jump right into the meat of your workout. Taking the time to stretch will loosen up your muscles and joints so that they are better prepared to endure strenuous exercise. As you stretch, you’ll begin to increase the blood flow throughout your body that carries more oxygen to your muscles so that they can perform better than if you were to start exercising cold turkey. Think of your body like an engine—you don’t want to slam on the gas the moment you turn it on.
Forgetting To Hydrate
Of the top workout mistakes to avoid, hydration is the most important. Keeping hydrated requires drinking water more than you may think, as thirst is not always the best indicator of hydration. Throughout your workout, you should be consistently sipping on water every few minutes in order to keep your body properly fueled with enough water. Neglecting to hydrate increases the likelihood that your muscles will cramp up and cause other injuries when your body inevitably falls behind what you’re demanding of it.
Not Switching Your Routine
It’s difficult enough to formulate and stick to one exercise routine, so many people fall into the trap of doing the same routine over and over again. This is a mistake because your body eventually adapts and figures out how to perform exercises more efficiently. While this makes the workout feel easier and less strenuous, it’s actually a bad thing because your body isn’t working as hard, thus reducing the progress you’ll be making as a result. Endeavor to have a few exercise routines you can cycle through throughout the week. This will give you plenty of variation so that your body can’t get used to the movements, while also staving off the boredom that comes from the monotonous repetition of the same workout again and again.