10 Common Workout Mistakes To Fix And Get Better Results

By Karmen on 21 May 2020

Digital Editor

Has severe RBF but is fairly jolly and carefree on the inside. Degree of life satisfaction is heavily influenced by food.

We have countless fitness articles that you can do from home from abs and arms to thighs and calves. But there are some common mistakes that you might be making that will kill its effectiveness and make you get sores and sprains instead!

Keep reading to find out the 10 most common exercise mistakes to fix!

#1 Not warming up before a workout

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Warming up before exercise prepares your muscles for physical activity and lowers risk of injuries. It increases blood flow, improving blood circulation and muscle elasticity which helps you work out faster, longer and with greater strength.

#2 Not engaging your muscles

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While doing sets, you should engage and pull in the muscles that you're working on while doing the sets. Activating the right muscles will give you better results and avoid spraining your neck and back.

#3 Improper form

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Improper form can make your workout ineffective or cause soreness. For those working out alone at home during circuit breaker, you can film yourself doing the workout and compare it with the tutorial to see if your form is correct.

#4 Improper breathing technique

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Try breathing in while in the resting position and breathing out when engaging your muscles. It's easier to engage your muscles while exhaling and holding your breath while doing ab exercises might give you a bloated look.

#5 Long rests between sets

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While it's definitely important to take a break while you work out, don't take breaks that are too long!

Try to keep your heart rate up for at least 30 seconds before resting and start exercising right when you're ready to. Remove any distractions while you work out like reading email and message notifications on your phone and watching a K-drama playing in the background.

#6 Not doing cardio

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If you're only doing exercises to slim certain parts of your body, try to do cardio workouts too. 25 to 45 minutes of cardio like jogging and swimming can burn more fat and shed more calories than most other exercise routines.

#7 Not stretching after working out

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That sore, aching feeling after a workout might make you feel accomplished, but it's not necessarily an indication of effectiveness and is probably a result of improper form or not stretching.

Stretching your muscles after a workout helps them repair faster so you'll be able to keep exercising the next day.

#8 Tracking your progress with a weighing machine

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Even if your goal is to lose weight, the weighting scale may not be an accurate indication of how much fat you've burnt off. Muscle weighs more than fat and our weight can fluctuate due to water weight, especially for ladies on their period. Not seeing a change on the scales can be discouraging, so it's best not to rely on it.

Instead, measure your success by taking note of how your clothes fit you and how you feel doing physical activities like walking up a flight of stairs.

#9 Not taking care of your health

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Exercising is a great way to stay healthy and lose weight but it should be coupled with all-round healthy habits namely getting good nutrition, hydration and sleep. These three things are key to improving your workout performance and making sure you get the best results.