In an ideal world, mastering the will power to go the gym is enough to help you get in shape and lose weight. Unfortunately, working out can turn out to be a waste of time if you’re doing it wrong. Discover the worst exercise habits and find out how to break them.
Spending time at the gym will do nothing for your goals if you waste your time on a useless workout or simply make one of the common exercise mistakes which tend to undermine your effort.
Reading while Working Out
If you can focus enough to read a magazine while you’re working out, you’ve fallen into the trap of one of the worst exercise habits. Doing the same exercises every day stop being effective and going through the motions while trying to distract yourself won’t get you the results you expect. When you absolutely need a distraction, try music or TV, but avoid reading, even if you’re bored on the stationary bike.
Sweating Too Much without Hydration
You can’t sweat fat off, but you can dehydrate yourself very fast. Moderate exercise means you’ll sweat, but don’t focus on the sweating as the guarantee of the workout being effective. Stay hydrated and steer clear of one of the worst exercise habits which can impact your health in a bad way.
Avoiding Resistance Training
Some women still believe weight lifting and resistance training will make them bulk up in an unflattering way. The truth is these exercises burn a lot more calories than walking a mile in the same time. Alternate mild cardio with resistance training and you’ll see results much faster. You won’t bulk up unless you use the vigorous workout 5 days a week for months or years.
Committing Too Much Too Fast
The best way to stop exercising is to jump into a hardcore regimen your body isn’t prepared for. If you try to get too much done in the first week, you’ll simply end up with sore muscles and less will to exercise. Along with not eating enough before working out, this is one of the worst exercise habits that can stop your progress before you see results.
Counting on ‘Magic’ Gadgets
Don’t believe everything you see on TV and stay away from gadgets that promise great results super fast. From sneakers that aren’t approved by orthopedic doctors to electrodes that zap your muscles and weights that have batteries to make them shake, most gadgets don’t actually deliver on their promise and trusting them, then being disappointed can also affect your exercise motivation.
