Getting on that fitness train is a fantastic habit to make! Keeping fit and healthy means eating right, and exercising right as well. However, for new gym-goers and those starting an exercise regime, there are some classic pitfalls to watch out for to make sure you avoid injuring yourself or weakening your training’s effect on the body. This list compiles some of the major things to watch out for to make sure you keep your fitness on track.
- Too Much Too Soon: Often times, when starting a workout program or exercise plan, men and women go overboard right out of the gates. The pressure to “get fit fast” can lead people try too much weight or extremely long sessions leading to getting burnt out or even injury. The most important thing is consistency and steady improvement for long-term results.
- The Cardio Conundrum: You’ve probably heard this a million times but that is because it is true! Relying too heavily on cardio is the downfall for so many people’s fitness regimes. Neglecting weight training (or bodyweight training) means you are missing out on the fat-loss and body toning effect of weights. Too much cardio can actually regress your progress by leaving you nowhere to go. Your body can get used to cardio making it less and less effective as time goes on.
- Also, steady-state cardio can be a burden to the body. Running at the same pace for an hour is good for your heart, but to really get the fat loss and calorie burn in, make sure to use different levels of intensity.
- You’re Avoiding Compound Exercises: Compound exercises are ones that use multiple muscle groups, which translates into working more parts of your body. What’s that mean? This means more fat loss, more muscle building (more toning) and more calories burned.
- Getting the Wrong Advice: Let’s be honest, there are so many people out there claiming to know what is best for your fitness and health. Even us here at Eat.Fit.Fuel. can’t pretend to know exactly what is right for you and your training. Getting the RIGHT advice is of key importance. That means talking to your doctor and a training expert to make sure you know what your body can handle, and the best and healthiest program for the goals you want to achieve.
- Forgetting About Nutrition: You can spend hours and hours in the gym but if your nutrition isn’t part of the equation, you can be sure you won’t be making the progress you want. Making sure you are getting the right nutrition in for the training regime you are on as well as what is best for your individual body is key to any body goals.
- Fitness nutrition can often mean supplements. Supplements can be great but it is important to not rely on them too much because at the end of the day, there is no wonder pill to sculpt your body perfectly.
