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Exercise Mistakes

by Laura Brand

Are you exercising properly?  Exercise is important for all of us, but if you don’t do it right, you could end up defeating the purpose.  Here is a top 10 list of common mistakes people make when they exercise:

1.     Not stretching enough.  “If you engage in exercise and the muscles are not pliable and loose, it’s easy to strain a muscle and potentially injure yourself”, said Doctor Cedric Bryant with American Council on Exercise”.

2.     Using too much or too little weight.  Men generally overdo it and women don’t do enough.   A good tip is to find a repetition range, such as between 8 & 15 reps that will bring your muscle close to temporary muscle failure (for example, if you are trying to reach a rep range of 15, then your muscle should temporarily fatigue – i.e. won’t let you lift it another time without compromising your form – by the 15^th rep).

3.     Not warming up.  You should warm up approximately 7 to 10 minutes in order for your cardiovascular system to get going & to get blood pumping to the muscles.

4.     Not cooling down.  This should also last about 7 to 10 minutes – maybe longer if you are older or on certain types of medications.

5.     Exercising too intensely and getting overly ambitious.  This can make you too sore and weary.  You need to push yourself according to your own fitness level and make gradual increases over time. 

6.     Not drinking enough water.  Our bodies cool themselves down by perspiring, and without water, they can overheat.  For every 10 minutes of exercise, you need to consume 4 to 6 ounces of water. 

7.     Holding onto & leaning on the cardio machines.  Holding onto the handles of a treadmill cause you to burn a lot less calories than letting go.  Also, if you are leaning on the stair master machine, the workout might be easier but it can put your body in an awkward position.  Specifically, it places your lower back, wrist, and elbows in compromised positions that could result in injury if it’s done repeatedly over a period of time. 

8.     Not exercising intensely enough.  The way you can subjectively tell if you are exercising hard enough is to try the “talk test”.  If you can carry on a conversation, but not be able to talk continuously, then you are doing it right. 

9.     Using momentum with weights.  People tend to jerk the weight up, bending their backs, and swinging the weights just to complete their set.  If you have to compromise correct form to get the weight up, then you either need to use less weight or not do as many reps. 

10.   Consuming energy bars and sports drinks that you don’t actually need.  Unless you’re a serious athlete, you could be adding every single calorie back that you burned during your exercise routine.  Make sure you know why you are eating them…if the only reason you’re eating them is because they taste good…that’s the wrong reason!