Are You Making These Fitness Mistakes?
There is a good chance that you are probably guilty of at least one of these fitness mistakes. I know I am. If you are working out, why not give yourself the best chance at obtaining your fitness goals?By following these rules, you can avoid any injuries, muscle imbalances, and most likely, enjoy your workouts more!
1. Rounding Your Shoulders
Rounded shoulders aren’t a beneficial posture in everyday life and they’re especially harmful during exercise movements. It’s important to use proper posture with shoulders your rolled back and dow. Make sure they aren’t scrunched up by your neck and head. Maintain this upright position throughout not only your exercises, but daily life too. It will help you avoid injury, work the correct muscles and gain strength.
2. Not Changing Things Up
Variety is key to exercise. If you constantly work the same muscle groups, then you’ll only develop those muscles in a specific range of movement. To achieve a fit body and avoid injury, it’s best to cross-train. Mix up your workouts to keep your body guessing. If you always do regular biceps curls, try hammer curls to hit a different part of the muscle. This will not only be better for avoiding a plateau, but it will keep you challenged.
3. Skipping Rest Days
Yes, you can have too much of a good thing. While you think of exercise as a positive experience, your body perceives it as stress. This stress elicits a need for repairing and rebuilding. Guess what happens on the day you rest? Repairing and rebuilding! Your body becomes stronger and faster on your rest days as a result of the hard work you did when you exercised. Don’t discount the power of rest and give your body a break when you’re tired and sore.
4. Using Bad Form for Squats
Squats are an essential full-body movement to include in your workouts. But it’s crucial to complete them correctly, especially if you’re loading them with weights. When you sit back into a squat, glance down and make sure you can see your big toes. You should be back far enough that your knees don’t go over your toes at the bottom of the movement. This will keep your knees safe and free of injuries.
