Exercise is a fundamental part of a healthy lifestyle. Whether you’re aiming to lose weight, build muscle, or simply feel good, regular exercise is essential. However, doing it the wrong way can be detrimental to your health, hinder your progress, and even lead to injuries.
In this article, we’ll discuss some bad exercise habits you should drop today and what healthy workout habits should you develop instead.
Good Habits vs. Bad Habits in Fitness
Having good fitness habits is essential to reaching your fitness goals. These habits include setting a workout program, changing your workouts daily, and allowing for rest days.
When it comes to working out, it’s important to remember that intense exercise is not always the best bet. You may see the girl at the gym start off with guns blazing, but pretty soon, she’s crawling along like a turtle. You’re better off doing a 20-minute cross-training session that incorporates different types of exercise to keep your muscles engaged and prevent burnout.
Here are some of the bad habits you need to stop doing when doing exercise:
- Exercising on an empty stomach
One of the most common bad workout habits is exercising on an empty stomach. While some people believe that this can help burn more calories, the truth is that it can do more harm than good.
When you exercise on an empty stomach, your blood sugar levels drop, making you feel lightheaded and fatigued. This can also lead to overeating later on, sabotaging your efforts to lose weight. Instead, eat a small meal or snack 2-3 hours before your workout to give your body the energy it needs.
- Skipping warm-up exercises
Another bad exercise habit is skipping warm-up exercises. Yes, you read that right not stretching but warm-up exercises.
Warm-ups help prepare your body for the workout ahead and reduce the risk of injury. They also help improve your performance by increasing blood flow to your muscles and improving your range of motion.
Some good warm-up exercises include walking, stationary biking, and light stair climbing. Aim to warm up for at least 5-10 minutes before your workout.
- Lack of focus and mental preparation
To get the most out of your workout, it’s essential to stay focused and mentally prepared.
Avoid distractions, such as checking your phone or worrying about other things. Instead, focus on your workout, and visualize yourself achieving your fitness goals. This will help you stay motivated and avoid injuries caused by lack of focus.
- Sitting still for too long between workouts
While it’s important to rest after a workout, sitting still for too long can be detrimental to your muscles. When you sit down immediately after exercising, blood flows directly to your muscles, causing stiffness.
Instead, try stretching or walking around to maintain circulation and restore your strength. This will help you recover faster and get back to your workout routine sooner.
- Unhealthy post-workout habits
After a workout, it’s important to fuel your body with the right nutrients. While it’s tempting to reach for sugary energy drinks or caffeine, these can do more harm than good. Instead, drink plenty of water to rehydrate your body, and eat a healthy snack within 45 minutes of your workout. This will help replenish your energy levels and aid in muscle recovery.
To achieve your fitness goals, it’s essential to develop good workout habits. Some of these include incorporating cardio and strength training, changing your workouts regularly, and working out with a partner or certified fitness professional.
When it comes to strength training, focus on proper form, and target different muscle groups to avoid overuse injuries. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week, and gradually increase your intensity level over time.
Breaking bad exercise habits is essential to achieving your fitness goals and staying healthy. By following the tips outlined above, you can develop good workout habits, avoid injuries, and achieve your desired results.
Remember to listen to your body, stay focused, and always aim to improve. With the right mindset and habits, you can become a more efficient exerciser and enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Best Cardio and Strength Training Exercises for an Effective Workout
Are you looking for the best cardio and strength training exercises to add to your exercise routine? These workouts are great for burning calories and building lean muscle mass.
The 5 Best Cardio and Strength Training Exercises
- Jumping Rope: Jumping rope is a great cardio workout that gets your heart rate up and burns calories. It also helps you develop lean muscle mass. Jumping rope is also easy to do at home, and you can use a natural body motion to work your body without any gym equipment.
- Cross Training Circuit: An effective workout can give you the best of both worlds by incorporating strength training and cardio. A 20-minute cross-training circuit full of exercises like jumping jacks, squats, pushups, and jumping lunges will work your entire body and help you lose pounds.
- Elliptical: The elliptical burns calories and is easy on your joints. However, it’s also easy to slack off on the elliptical and forget the power of good old-fashioned competition. To prevent this, try setting a pace and at least have to keep up with the pace you set.
- Partner Workouts: Working out with a partner not only makes exercise more enjoyable, but it also makes it more likely that you’ll stick to your workout routine. A partner can motivate and inspire you to give it 100 instead of 75.
- Resistance Training: Building muscle means that those muscles are able to work throughout the day. Resistance training is an effective way to develop lean muscle mass and increase your metabolism.
Rest Days and Pre-Workout Snacks
Rest days are essential to prevent burnout and allow your muscles to recover. Changing your workouts daily and giving your body time to rest will help you keep working harder and burning more calories.
To keep your energy levels up during your workouts, consider eating a healthy snack 45 minutes before your gym day. Eating a snack that’s full of sugar and calories will only lead to a crash in energy. A snack like a banana or drinking water should do the trick.
Incorporating these five best cardio and strength training exercises into your exercise routine will help you achieve your fitness goals faster. Remember to change your workouts daily, allow for rest days, and hydrate with plain water to trick your body into working harder and burning more calories.
These are everything you know to help break your exercise bad habits. For other tips, you can check out our exercise blog posts for more.
