{IT CAN be frustrating when you’re working hard without seeing any results.
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Chances are, the problem isn’t the exercise itself, but your habits before and after training. The fitness experts at Body + Soul have put together six common workout sabotages so you can make sure to avoid them.
{{1. You ‘reward’ yourself with food}}
You’ve just worked up a serious sweat, so you should get that choccie bar now right? We hate to tell, but wrong. Whether you’re doing this consciously or subconsciously, you’re not going to see any results if you’re just replacing all the calories you just worked off.
Even that smoothie or breakfast muffin you thought were healthy can be loaded with unwanted calories. The best way to know? Enter absolutely everything you eat and drink into a diary, like the body+soul revolution Online diary.
“Trail mixes, hummus with veggie sticks, low-fat cottage cheese on rice crackers, green smoothies, and low-fat yoghurt with fruit make excellent snacks,” suggests body+soul Nutritionist, Lisa Guy.
{{2. You’re not refuelling}}
On the other end of the eating spectrum, is not eating enough healthy snacks and meals often enough.
If you hit the gym on an empty stomach you’re not going to have enough energy to keep you going, so your body will turn to breaking down existing muscle tissue, which is pretty much the opposite of a trip to gym should help you achieve.
Again, if you wait to long to refuel after a workout, you’re not giving your body the nutrients it needs to recover. If you’re exercising for longer than 45 minutes, you should wait no longer than 30 to 40 minutes to replenish with a healthy meal or snack.
{{3. You’re not getting enough sleep}}
Sleep really is central to everything your body does. If you hit the gym when you’re overtired it can impact your ability to balance, focus, and burn calories efficiently. As a result you won’t be working as hard and you’ll be wasting a lot of your workout.
This doesn’t mean you have an excuse not to commit to your exercise every time you’re feeling a little sleepy, and a workout can actually help you wake up, but it does mean that you shouldn’t be skipping your essential sleeping hours.
It’s great if you’re waking up early to fit in exercise, but make sure you balance that out with an earlier bedtime. Or you might find a lunchtime or afternoon workout suits you better.
{{4. You’re not setting workout goals}}
How can you know if you’re improving if you don’t have anything to work towards? It could be as simple as wanting to be able to lift a certain weight, run a certain distance or make a Personal Best time.
Once you know what you want to achieve, break it down into smaller mini-goals and work out a plan to reach them. For example, if you’re trying to improve your running speed, you might include a small jog of a few hundred metres in a walk one week. Set a goal to jog maybe one kilometre straight the next week.
Whatever your goal is, keep track of your improvements.
{{5. You’re not challenging yourself}}
Your body gets used to the same movements over and over again. No matter how good your workout is, if it’s the same every time you’re going to stop seeing improvements.
Keep your body guessing by changing up the amount of time, intensity and type of exercise you’re doing. Try new things. Increase the weight you’re lifting. These changes will keep it more interesting for you too!
{{6. You’re not stretching}}
You only have a certain amount of time for your workout, so you shouldn’t waste any of it on stretching right? It might seem that way, but stretching is so important to ready the body for exercise by increasing the temperature and blood flow to your muscles. Stretching before and after a workout for about 5 minutes will help prevent an injury and let your body perform at its best.
Source: News.com
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