subject: Exercise No-no's That You Should Avoid [print this page] Working out seems like a pretty self-explanatory activity. Many people feel like, as long as they are moving, sweating, or lifting, they are getting the type of exercise that they should be.
However, there are a number of ways that you can perform exercises wrong. It is very important to be aware of these common mistakes, to keep from injuring yourself and to help get the most out of every movement.
There is an especially great deal of faux pas you can make on exercise equipment. When you are running on a treadmill, it is sometimes easy to bounce up and down as you go.
Stationary jogging can be somewhat difficult to get used to and master. However, you should focus on staying as levelheaded as possible.
The jarring of your joints from the up and down movements will just make your body and limbs tired after barely any time at all. This will keep you from getting the amount of cardio that you need each day.
Instead of bouncing, try bending your knees slightly more than you usually would on regular terrain. That way, you will be in more of a squat position, where it will be difficult for you to move up and down.
You should also focus on shortening your stride. If you need to increase or decrease the speed to do so, then figure out a number setting and intensity that works best for you.
You body, including your knee and ankle joints, will thank you. It is a great choice to increase your flexibility by stretching after every run.
You should also alternate between speeds and inclines on the treadmill. This will work your muscles differently and keep them from reaching a plateau.
When the seat is too low or too high on a stationary bicycle, it fatigues your legs quickly. It also adds unnecessary stress on your knees.
If you work out for an extended of period time like this, you may experience muscle strains and joint issues. To adjust the seat, sit on it and place your foot on the pedal.
If you feel strained, either to reach it or to pedal, you need to keep moving it up and down until you can find a comfortable height. It will make your workout so much more effective and keep you from creating any long-term injuries in your legs.
You should also pay attention to your pace on the bicycle. Too often, individuals do not get an intense enough workout because they are not pushing themselves enough.
Even though you do not want to overexert yourself too much, you should be breaking a sweat and find it difficult to speak in complete sentences for the majority of your cardio exercise. If you are not out of breath at all or are not experiencing any fatigue, you need to up the ante on your workout and burn more calories.
Cardiovascular exercise is not meant to be easy; you must push yourself to lose weight and burn fat. The more calories and fat you burn, the better you will feel in the long run.
You can fix this problem by changing the intensity and your speed often throughout your cardio. It will keep you alert and help you stay in your workout mentally.
Interval training like this will also burn more fat than remaining at a slow pace will. A common blunder that people make when using elliptical machines is not adding enough resistance.
Resistance is made to challenge your muscles and also make your cardio a strength training workout. If you up the amount of weight that your legs must work against, you will increase muscle mass and help your heart rate to go up and stay up for longer.
Beware of "gliding," for it will not challenge your muscles or respiratory and cardiovascular systems. You should be having a fairly difficult time moving your legs and feet, and you should be breaking a decent sweat.
If you are not, then there is a chance that you are not performing as intense of exercise as you could or should be. The more you follow these tips, the stronger you will become and the more you will protect your body against exercise-related injuries.
