It’s almost spring, and by that in almost no time summers came, and that sundress you can’t wait to wear, and not to mention that bikini is screaming from the closet: are you ready to wear me? Are you ready to wear your summer body?
Panic arises as you stare at yourself in the mirror and you hit the gym, and you push and you push and you push and you wake up feeling sore. And you stop. You rush to the gym again in a couple of weeks, this time it doesn’t hurt that much, but you’re still not seeing it. You ask yourself: Am I exercising enough? Should I try harder? Do I try a new machine? Do buy that new pill? …. I am going to stop you right there and encourage you to ask yourself something else instead: Do you know your body?
Unfortunately, most fitness information available nowadays tend to attack your confidence, pushing women to hit the gym and exercise as much as possible, as hard as possible, as long as possible, failing to advise one of the most important thing when it comes to our health and exercising: not everybody has the same body! And by that, not every exercise is suitable for everyone. What are some of the major mistakes women make when it comes to exercising?
- Too Much Cardio
Via travelstrong.net
Most women tend to fall for the “too much cardio” trap. The widespread belief that women should avoid strength training in order not to appear bulky, causes the majority of women to load up on cardio-heavy activities, spending hours on a treadmill or the elliptical, which unarguably has numerous health benefits. But cardio alone, or too much of it, compromises our overall fitness and will just not do it!
What happens when you do “too much” cardio? Cardio exercises put very little stress on our muscular systems, resulting in weight loss and just as much muscle loss and by muscle also mean your heart muscle- and lean body mass and more importantly loss of thyroid hormone T3. They known as the body’s regulator of metabolism, the loss of which (hypothyroidism) makes your body accumulate fat, irrespective of the level of physical activity.
When you waste too much energy by running too much, your metabolism slows down in order to conserve more energy. To avoid all this, add some strength exercise to your routine. Resistance training, when done in combination with cardio and another type of training, will not make you look bulky, on the contrary, increasing the intensity and lowering the duration of your training will get you those body curves you’re longing for while also benefiting to the overall health of your organism.
- Having No Exercise Plan
Via virtuagym.com
Too much running (as stated above) is not enough, and it could also be dangerous, but so is too much stretching, or too much weight lifting, basically too much of the same thing will not give you the results you’re hoping for. It is important to challenge your body, try new things once in a while, and that also includes taking a day off or eating a high-calorie meal sometimes.
Design an exercise plan that works for your body and metabolism. Focus on your breathing, learn how to exhale and inhale deeply and when to nasal breathe. Work your Soft Tissue! This way you increase your blood circulation and help the body and brain prepare for harder training.
Warm up! Prepare yourself for work out with some basic movements that help activate your muscles. Follow a working routine that challenges the body without pushing too hard. Take it easy. Enjoy it…
- Ignoring Weights
Via cosmopolitan.com
As mentioned above, ignoring strength exercises will not only prevent you from achieving the figure of your desire but it’s also damaging to your metabolism. Start with your own body weight and as you build strength to increase the weights, thus challenging the body to keep up with your training routine, progressing in performance and strength.
Besides, wearing a weight lifting belt while exercising has proven to increase by up to 40% the intra-abdominal pressure, helps with reducing the amount of spinal flexion and extension, and increase your performance in lower body exercises such as squats.
- You’re Not Resting Enough
Via verywell.com
Most women fail to understand that rest is an exercise too. Resting between exercises helps your muscles adapt to exercises and movements, allows them to recuperate which is essential to performing quality exercises. In general, you should rest at least 2 to 4 minutes between each exercise, to provide with optimal muscle engagement. Take some time to just relax and breathe. Prepare your body for the next exercise.
- Expecting Too Much Too Fast
Via t3.com
It is crucial when exercising to have realistic expectations. Pushing yourself too hard will take you nowhere, and so will not pushing yourself hard enough. You’re not going to have the perfect abs by isolating your exercise to abs exercise only, and you’re not going to have perfect curves after two weeks of exercising only, dripping in sweat and going hard-core will not do it.
Once again, relax, think, make a plan, know your body and its limits. Exercise smart and understand that the most important benefit of exercising is not looking good because you’re already beautiful the way you are- but being healthy and feeling good inside to complement your appearance.
Final Words
Well, those are the five biggest training mistakes women make. If you want to achieve your goals you need to get a workout plan and find a good environment that you are comfortable with. Have realistic expectations and start working smarter towards to achieving your goals. If you avoid these mistakes, you will achieve your dreams within a very short time.
Author Bio:
Nancy Moore is the founder and creator of Fitnessgrams. She created Fitnessgrams.com to be a haven for people looking to get fit, boost their health, lose weight, or improve their well-being. Here you will find experiences, workouts, information from the experts, healthy living tips, and tools to find well-being and balance.
