Monday, December 12, 2011

Common Fitness Mistakes


Staying fit isn't easy. Here are five common mistakes that are roadblocks to achieving your healthy body goals.


You don't lift weights 
Weight training can actually be more beneficial than aerobic exercise.
  • Lifting weights protects your muscles. When you weight train as you diet, the weight you lose will most likely be entirely from fat and not from the loss of any muscle. 
  • Lifting weights also boosts your metabolism. After training, your body needs energy to repair and upgrade your muscle fibers, which will elevate your metabolism after your workout. 
  • Another benefit to lifting weights is that it burns calories. Researchers from the University of Southern Maine found that completing one circuit of eight exercises, which takes about eight minutes, can burn up to 230 calories.
You don't use the right dumbbells
It is important to challenge your muscles and not just go through the motions. To make sure the weight is right for you, try the following test. The weight you are using is too light if all ten of your repetitions seem easy. If you start to struggle on your tenth repetition, you have chosen the appropriate weight.

You don't work your lower body
Don't forget about your lower body while exercising, even if you are trying to lose inches from your waist. A Syracuse University study found that doing lower-body resistance training burned more calories the day after a workout than just working the upper body.


You don't watch what you eat 
Exercising is not an excuse to eat whatever you want. Regular workouts can help you follow a healthy eating plan because you realize how much work it takes to burn off those calories.

You skip workouts 
Everyone has the excuse of being too busy, but it's important to add exercise to your daily routine. According to Men's Health and U.K. researchers, workers are 15 percent more productive on days that they workout compared to days when they skipped exercising. Exercising also helps you feel less stressed and happier with your job.

Click here for the full article.

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