At a time when the need to relieve stress, anxiety and pent-up energy is high, many people find comfort in the endorphins released during exercise. Whatever your workout, we want to make sure you don't make common mistakes and really take advantage of every workout. Below are five of the most common workout mistakes and tips and tricks to easily turn you into an at-home workout enthusiast.
1. Inconsistent fitness schedule
The body thrives on consistency and regularity. Many people don't train regularly and don't stick to a schedule, but it's very important to keep it as consistent as possible to cope both mentally and physically and create a sense of normalcy.
Even if you're only exercising for 10-20 minutes at a time, make sure you do it at the same time every day. For example, your schedule might be a workout at 9:00 AM or every day from 8:00 PM. Once you get into the rhythm of a schedule, it stops feeling like a hassle and starts to feel like a self-care routine.
2. Putting too much emphasis on cardio or certain parts of the body
Choose a routine that allows for muscle-building exercises, along with some cardio and light stretches. Just because you're not drenched in sweat doesn't mean you aren't working hard. Arm and abs workouts abound, but it's important that you don't forget to do leg or back exercises. To make it easy, look for full body workouts and exercises.
Simple exercises that use multiple muscles include:pushups, squats, stepups, planks, dips, lunges, kettlebell swings, and burpees. By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you train all muscle groups and you can concentrate on getting stronger.
3. Paying too much attention to exercise and not to diet
No amount of exercise can make up for a poor diet. Make sure you eat right and keep practicing eating the right portion sizes. If you focus on eating the right foods, you can limit your training to 15 to 20 minutes of walking a day and some light exercise.
4. Sloppy form and technique
If you don't feel the burn in the right area, chances are you're doing the exercise wrong. It's okay to do each exercise slowly to make sure you're doing it right. Speed up only when you feel comfortable! When you start exercising without a trainer to guide you, it's important that you don't hurt yourself or get discouraged. Take your time, make sure you're doing every exercise right and you'll feel more confident, speeding up your fitness routine.
5. Boring training with little variation
Play music that inspires you. Buy small weights, a punching bag, chin-up bars, tires, a mat, skipping rope and designate a special area in your house as your home gym.
Training at home with home equipment, apps, YouTube, online training is easy. Don't forget to add outdoor workouts in a park or anywhere near you, remember to keep a safe distance from others.
