We all make workout mistakes. It could be a matter of posture, breathing or just your overall routine. The problem is that many workout lovers don't discover their mistakes unless they're coached. For me, I’ve had the good fortune of being able to work with fitness trainers and CrossFit experts, and on occasion, I've collected tips from renowned yoga instructors during my world travels with Andrew. Now when we workout together, we’re very cautious to avoid these 5 workout mistakes.
1. Skipping your warm-up
We’re all on a tight schedule-- I get it, but never skip your warm up. Even something quick, like a five-minute jog can kickstart your blood flow and get your energy up. Once your body is warm, your joints become looser, making your body more flexible so it’s safer to workout.
Here's another bonus: getting your blood pumping right away helps you burns more calories. It's way better than letting your body temperature rise slowly through the workout.
2. Replying too much on cardio
Cardio on its own doesn’t get you in great shape. You also need to tone your muscles! The combination of toning and cardio maximizes your calorie burning, leading to a leaner figure. It's hard work, sure, but if you just rely on cardio, you might manage your weight, but you won’t achieve that shapely bod— or that rounded butt!
3. Bad squats: overextending the knee
Good squats make good butts! To get the most from your squat, you should keep your hips below your knees so they’re inline with your feet. This posture will keep your joints safe and fire up more burn for your butt.
Another tip is remembering to keep your lower back neutral; don’t hunch over! Otherwise, you’ll risk back pain!
4. Lifting weights too quickly
Never workout in a rush. When you lift weights too quickly, it stunts your progress for muscle building. Since you're not slowly pushing through the tension, you're not building as much strength or getting as toned.
So you see, there's no shortcuts. Sorry. You need to go slow when lowering or releasing the weight. This approach makes your muscles stronger, giving you better results!
5. Shallow breathing
Workout buffs always go on about the importance of deep breathing during exercise. Have you ever ignored this advice? It’s easy to neglect our breathing, but in reality, it matters more than you think.
If your breathing is too shallow during an exercise, you can become dizzy and burn less fat— yes, seriously! Breathing helps bring oxygen to the muscles, making your workout more effective. My yoga coach recommends inhaling for 3 seconds and exhaling for 2 seconds. Try it!
Nobody becomes a workout expert overnight, but you can start taking strides to exercise better. Let's make these improvements to avoid these workout mistakes-- one day at a time.