63A - Fit and Well Column for March 14th, 2004

TITLE: "Ten Most Common Exercise Mistakes"

Dear David and Trish,

With your extensive experience in fitness and exercise, I wonder if you might let me know what you feel are the most common mistakes that people make in regards to exercise and nutrition. I am finally convinced that I need to join a gym, and USE it this time. Also, I know I need to modify my eating habits. Please, help me to avoid mistakes!

Sincerely,

Serious Sam in Severna Park

Dear Sam,

Though Trish and I hate to approach things from a negative angle, we have seen people do some very strange, ineffective, and even dangerous things when working out. The following is a list of common mistakes that people make.

You’ve seen it! Those explosive movements…. Pushes and pulls… the person apparently trying to keep an appointment… trying to get done with the burdensome workout as soon as possible. WRONG!

These is very little to gain from moving a bar, or weight, or cable from point A to Point B quickly. It is the movement itself, and what occurs DURING the movement, that is of utmost importance! Trying to rush through it is just silly. Kind of like rushing through a meal in order to be finished, or, waxing even more poetic, rushing through life to get to the end!

Slow down! Enjoy the journey. And your muscles, joints, and body will thank you for it… by getting stronger, firmer, and cuter!

Using correct form is critical in getting the maximum benefit from your exercise experience. And it helps to avoid injuries in the process.

We walk through the gym and constantly see people performing movements incorrectly. The only time we intervene is when the movement is actually dangerous… otherwise, we do respect people’s right to do things wrong! But what a waste of good energy.

DO NOT look at other people in a gym to get information on proper exercise technique, please! The body you save may be your own. Go to someone you trust. Or a professional trainer for education and guidance. Or, read a book (but NOT while you’re exercising!).

Trish and I have seen them both. People who believe that just moving various limbs back and forth is sufficient to support health and fitness. And then there are those who constantly over-do it… exercise with such intensity that they never give their bodies an opportunity to recover, and often sustain muscle and joint injuries.

Typically, females are inclined to "under do" it, especially when engaging in resistance training. Their rationale is that if they lift heavier weights and/or higher resistance they will "bulk up", get huge, and maybe even grow a beard and forget to put the toilet seat down!

The fact is that in order to truly benefit from resistance training, the muscles MUST be challenged… to grow, and get stronger. Without that, they either just stay the same, or sometimes even atrophy and get weaker. Hey, you could stay home, watch TV, eat donuts, and get the same results! So "break a sweat" with the iron, and be fearless - "GRUNT" often!

Over-exercising is just as unproductive, but much more dangerous. In a word (or three) "don’t do that!" And be sure to allow between 24 and 72 hours of recovery time between workouts to allow muscle fiber to rebuild.

And, in this area, PLEASE moderate your aerobic workout. More IS NOT always better. Learn the principles, apply them, and enjoy!

Simple, but often overlooked. Many people assume that it is only after sweating (or glowing in the case of women) that you need to replenish fluids. Wrong!

You lose a significant amount of water INTERNALLY during exercise, and this needs to be replaced pronto. Without it, the is a strong likelihood of muscle cramping, and life-threatening dehydration.

The rule here is to drink during and after your workout. DO NOT wait until you’re thirsty, it’s too late then. Drink periodically (every 10 minutes or so) to maintain a healthy level.

"If it hurts, don’t do it". Too many people live by the simplistic principle that states "no pain, no gain". There’s beneficial pain, and life-threatening pain… you must differentiate between the two.

If you’ve been ill, sedentary, injured, or are just generally out of condition, get a complete physical first, before commencing an exercise program. Discuss limitations and precautions with your health care practitioner BEFORE straining your delicate body!

As we mentioned in Number 3, it is imperative to allow muscles a sufficient time to recover from your exercise sessions.

During exercise, you actually create micro-tears in the muscle fibers. This is the beginning of the growing and strengthening process. These tears need time to heal. Without this time, they stay torn, and never grow or strengthen. You work harder and harder, and get weaker and weaker.

All those complicated machines in the gym are useful, but often counter-productive. They are designed to "isolate" certain specific muscle groups, and to assure that your angle and range of motion is defined, and safe. Not necessarily a bad thing.

But, they are restrictive, and truly inefficient. They are designed for the "average" physique, and who’s average? (I’m surely not!)! So use them with caution.

Also, machines often make exercise boring, and just repetitive. They undermine the vital priniple of DIVERSITY that is so necessary in long-term fitness gains.

Use the machines, but more important… use your whole body!

Stretching is MANDATORY for many reasons. Not only to avoid injury when exercising, but to actually enhance the benefits of the work you’ve done! And to maintain proper range of motion and avoid overly contracted muscles. You need to maintain flexibility whilst increasing strength and endurance.

Learn proper stretching procedures, and use them!

Many people immediately start heavy sets when coming into the gym. Dangerous choice! Joints, ligament, tendons and muscles need to be warmed up FIRST before doing heavy work. Light movements are what is required, then the grunt work!

When doing aerobic exercises, a warm-up and cool-down are imperative. Not performing these sequences actually endanger your health, and may even put your heart at risk. So, please, no sudden starts and stops! Always transition!

The last, but certainly NOT the most least, common mistake in exercising is simply not doing it. Not showing up!

Too many people wait to be "inspired" or "motivated" to get up and get going. WRONG!

Schedule your workouts like you would schedule your work, or meals, or play times (you DO schedule play times, don’t you?).

Prioritize, and commit. Feeling tired, depressed, nervous, over-worked, under-worked, fat, lethargic, blasé, or just lazy? Feel it while you’re working out! The feelings, and you, can only get better!

JUST DO IT!!!! And enjoy.

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