The Most Common Workout Mistakes (And Fixes!)
By Sara Butler
There are some things at the gym that seem pretty obvious not to attempt, no matter what. But there are less obvious mistakes people make when exercising that aren't quite as intuitive. In order to stay healthy and free from injury, you should avoid these common workout mistakes.
Staying on the Same Plane
Doing different movements as a part of your workout routine is a must, but they shouldn't be movements all on the same plane. For example, going from mountain climbers to push-ups may seem like a natural progression, but you're using the same muscle groups for each exercise, so it's a bad idea. Putting too much stress and strain on the same muscles can lead to injury. You must give your body time to recover.
The fix? Make sure to focus on working different muscle groups on different planes by mixing up your movements during a workout. If you do chest presses or push-ups, then move to something like rowing. As long as you're changing the muscle groups involved during your workout, then you should be doing OK.
Using Only One Set of Weights
How many times have you walked into a group fitness class and only been instructed to grab some weights? Which ones should you choose? In this situation, you need to ask the instructor what exercises the weights are for so that you know what to grab. You don't want something too heavy for overhead presses or too light for dead lifts! The general rule of thumb is that if you're doing movements that target both larger and smaller muscle groups, you need more than one set of weights to choose from.
Only Doing Endurance Training
If you want to get the most out of your workouts, then you have to mix it up. Only taking HIIT or spin classes won't help you to achieve balance in your exercise programs. Muscular endurance is great, but you must focus on building muscle too.
To fix this, make sure to add in some strength training at least a couple of days per week on top of your endurance training. This will help you to stay strong and improve performance.
Learning the right way to exercise is as important as exercising itself. If you have questions, talk to the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic today!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in South Jordan, Utah.