From straving yourself to over-training, here is a list of things to avoid when embarking on a viable fitness routine

Apr 23, 2008 10:18 GMT  ·  By
Working out will be much easier if you avoid making these common mistakes
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   Working out will be much easier if you avoid making these common mistakes

All of us have excellent reasons for deciding to try our hands (or rather, whole bodies) at a fitness regime - but those of us who have already been there also know that once we start, it's not so easy to keep up the good work. Just like any other human activity, exercise is first of all a matter of will and personal motivation. Once we decide we're actually going to do it, once we work out our goals, get ourselves off the living room couch and into the right mind set, there's no stopping a good and productive workout - or is it?

You'd actually be surprised at how easy it is to become disillusioned with an otherwise excellent fitness regime, all because of a series of apparently harmless little mistakes and oversights that mostly have to do with our brains and not with the state of our muscles. Luckily, there are a series of tips and tricks that can help coax our minds into sending the right kind of signals to our bodies, thus allowing us to experience invigorating and rewarding workouts with a minimum of added frustration. As a result, we've put together a little list of common glitches in an otherwise perfectly functional system, a series of mistakes that we should all do our best and avoid if we're keen to stick to a good fitness workout. So, without further ado, here's a short list of things we should do our best to avoid.

1.Fail to plan

This one is easy. Just remember that "fail to plan is plan to fail". Embarking on a fitness regime without being familiar with the basics of resistance training and fitness programming is like buying a dress which looks good on the stick-thing mannequin without actually trying it on: it will most likely fail to fit and you'll end up drowning your disappointment in a bottle of wine or some heavy-duty chocolate chip cookies. Possible solutions to this beginner's problem? Make sure you get at least some advice from a qualified personal trainer. Then go to the nearest DVD shop and get yourself one of the many guides to fitness programming available, start watching and taking notes. You'll feel the difference almost at once.

2.Set unrealistic goals

Fitness is great, but it doesn't work wonders, and the sensible thing to do is to keep your expectations within the realm of realism rather than wander off into lands of pure fiction. As you walk into your gym don't compare yourself with the hardened athletes you're bound to see flaunting their six packs and embarking on grueling, tough routines. You'll end up with low self esteem, a bruised ego and a sore body - at best. The sensible thing to do is talk to your personal trainer and work out a set of realistic goals based on your basic objectives (lose pounds, gain muscle mass, etc.), then stick to it and focus on yourself, not on others. It's the best way to move on with your regime and stay motivated.

3.Do too little

Before you embark on your exercise routine, keep in mind that you can't expect to spend just a couple of hours in the gym every week and see spectacular results in no time. A workout regime must be part of a series of cumulative lifestyle choices that involve a lot more than simply going to the gym. The idea is to stay active throughout the week, walk to work, jog in the morning, go out and play with your kids or challenge your workmates to a basketball game on a regular basis. Don't leave the gym and throw yourself in your most comfortable leather chair at the office for the rest of the day, as that will definitely get you nowhere.

4.Do too much

The other extreme is just as bad. Over-training will definitely not do you any favors long term: you'll just end up soar, exhausted and with a bad temper. "Symptoms of over-training are overuse injuries, insomnia, fatigue, prolonged recovery from workouts, and general disinterest in exercise" warns Jon Gestl, an expert in fitness and nutrition. On top of that you will also grow to associate working out with pain and will end up losing your motivation and just hating yourself, the gym and pretty much everyone around you. Rest is important, and your body needs time to heal and recover from effort.

5.Starve yourself

As strange as that may sound, the body actually needs food to burn fat and lose weight. Which is why it's best to reduce portion sizes and eat five or six smaller meals at regular intervals throughout the day instead of skipping meals altogether. This way, your body will digest food throughout the day, which will end up increasing your metabolism in the long run. Starvation will do you no favors except mess with your body's production of thyroid hormones. Remember that when you skip a meal your body holds more of the next one and your metabolism slows down. The best way to lose weight while working out is to focus on what and how much you eat, not on starving yourself.

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Working out will be much easier if you avoid making these common mistakes
Don't compare yourself to others - just stay true to your own fitness goalsDon't exhaust yourself. Try to devise a balanced work-out regime and you'll have much more to gain
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