8 Common Exercise Mistakes
Most people wanting to
get fit or lose weight are often given incorrect information and unrealistic
expectations. The information comes from TV infomercials, diet products,
friends, or other well meaning bystanders.
This
misinformation is sabotaging fitness goals. To
achieve your fitness goals you need to be doing many things correctly. Here are
those 8 common mistakes.
1. Consuming
too much sugar (or refined carbohydrates) when desiring fat loss
In an effort to lose weight, many have turned to low
fat foods. Most fat free cookies and snacks are loaded with sugar to make it
taste good. The most important thing sabotaging fat
reduction is consuming sugar.
When you consume an item
with simple sugar, it gets absorbed into the bloodstream at once, causing high
blood sugar. The pancreas responds by releasing insulin. The pancreas also
controls release of glucagon, but it can’t release both at once. Insulin is a
“storage hormone” as it transfers sugars through the wall of the digestive tract
into the muscles and the liver. Glucagon is a “release hormone” allowing you to
mobilize stored fat out of your body. When you eat simple sugars glucagon
production declines, sabotaging fat burning ability.
2. Not
challenging the muscles adequately
If you want to lose weight you need to
do some type of resistance exercise. For example,
if you do bicep curls every workout with 10 pound weights and always complete 15
repetitions without involving much effort you are not stimulating the muscle
enough to see change or maintain your current fitness level. However, if you
start with 10 pounds and increase the poundage as you become stronger you could
see impressive results.
3. Neglecting
protein intake
If you don’t consume enough protein your body will
search for amino acids, which is found in protein. Your body will actually turn
on itself and begin cannibalizing muscle tissue to release the stored amino
acids. Improper protein intake will slow down your metabolism and
in the long term you will become a highly efficient fat
storage machine.
4. Not eating
frequently enough
Metabolism is the speed the body burns through food.
If your goal is a lean toned body, you should try and eat a “meal” every 3 – 3.5
hours. The more often you eat, the faster your body will
burn the fuel. Without eating every few hours, your blood sugar will
compromise the body’s ability to store and access fuel, resulting in a slower
metabolism.
5. Overtraining
Overtraining is exercising
beyond the body’s recuperation limits. Over trainers are often novices
starting too gung-ho after a New Years Resolution or people who have exercised
for quite some time and think the only way to progress is to constantly stress
the muscles without adequate rest.
6. Believing
daily activity counts as exercise
If you are very active in your daily routine, that is
great, but it doesn’t mean your body will see progress. Your body has probably
already adjusted to the level of effort you are requiring it to do. It’s
necessary to challenge the muscles against progressive
resistance.
7. Not eating
enough food
A 150 pound man sitting in a hammock for 24 hours will
burn about 1,500 calories just keeping his body functioning. Once you add
movement or exercise, the calorie requirement goes up.
The eat less to weigh less philosophy actually slows down
your metabolism. Eating supportively with proper nutrition will
actually increase your metabolism.
8. No Down Time
Relaxation time is essential to make positive changes
in your body. It can be time spent doing your favorite hobbies, a day off from
work, enjoying music, reading a book or whatever else that de-stresses your
life. Inadequate rest and sleep will prevent you from
seeing the results you’ve worked so hard to achieve.
To summarize, try to eat
supportive meals frequently, exercise enough to provide challenge, maintain
regular aerobic activity, and schedule recuperation and relaxation time. Your
body transformation can become an achievable task!
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