Work it off ....

Diet and Exercise. As we mentioned last week, they are the inseparable twins that are seen and heard everywhere. This week we're going to focus on techniques and tips that will help you to maximize your time spent exercising.

According to a survey of 3,000 professionals certified by the American Council on Exercise, there are ten common mistakes that people are making as they are working out at the gym or at home. This week we'll take a look at the first five.

1. Not stretching enough. Before we begin a workout, it is very important to stretch. According to the survey, you can help to prevent injury by stretching, once again, immediately following a workout.

2. Working out with too much weight. Lifting more weight than you can handle will almost guarantee an injury of some sort. Injuries cause setbacks, which create delays and can completely disrupt the establishment of a new workout habit. Go easy on yourself to begin with. Increase weight slowly over time.

3. Neglecting to warm up before a workout. Just like old, rusty parts on a machine, muscles that have not been used lose their flexibility and elasticity. Take time to allow your muscles to adjust to the workout by warming up. Start slowly and ease into your maximum workout intensity.

4. Forgetting to cool down after a workout. 98, 99, 100.... Okay you're not quite done yet. Take some time to ease your heartrate back to normal. Stretch your muscles once again, encouraging the blood to flow through the regions you have just worked. Doing so will help you feel better after your workout and will better prepare you for your next workout.

5. Working out too intensely. A slow and steady approach is better than racing out of the gates. Your exercise will be more effective and you'll build a better foundation upon which you can add more weight and/or more time for your workouts.

I mentioned this in a previous issue and want to mention it again. I really feared starting to workout again because of the soreness I had experienced in years past. I began to take R+ Alpha Lipoic Acid (http://www.ralapure.com) and my soreness was minimal. At age 43, it had been ten years since I had been to the gym and I expected the soreness to be worse than a decade before.

Do what works for you, but if the fear of not being able to tie your own shoes the day after your first workout is keeping you from exercise (like it was for me), you may want to give it a shot!

References:
http://www.acefitness.org/default.aspx American Council on Exercise
http://www.gannett.com Gannett News Service

[ back to top ]

[ back to home ]