Top Fitness Mistakes To Avoid

The beginning of a new year usually spurs holiday over-consumption regret. This remorse may be the motivation that leads to a new gym membership and the resolve to get fit in 2011. Follow these tips from the Life Fitness experts to make the most of your investment and avoid common mistakes that deter fitness goals.

 Mistake #1: No set plan. If you don’t have established goals to help you meet your objectives, you may end up frustrated.

 Solution: Set specific goals that you can achieve every day. Let the success of small goals build your momentum to achieve your final objective of a healthy lifestyle or weight loss. Determine what goals are best in your structured exercise program – connecting with a trainer, coach or workout partner can help establish a plan. Write down your plan, keep reminders in various locations and make yourself accountable by telling family and friends your exercise intentions.

 Mistake #2: Overdoing it. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is common when starting a challenging new workout routine and may deter you from maintaining your routine. If you are over-enthusiastic and attempt too much too soon, you’ll feel the effects for several days, sometimes even weeks.

 Solution: To avoid hitting a DOMS roadblock, start slow and build up to a steady, challenging workout. Concentrate on proper technique and learn the basics before moving onto more complicated workouts. The Life Fitness Virtual Trainer website is a free resourceful tool that can help you set and manage your workouts to be sure you don’t overdo it.

 Mistake #3: Watching the clock. Some experts suggest that you should spend at least an hour in the gym in order to see results, but if you have kids or work full-time, an hour-long workout can be a challenge and impossible to maintain.  

 Solution: Use your time wisely. Working out for 20 available minutes is significantly better than not working out at all. The key is to establish a flexible, enjoyable routine that works with your lifestyle. Doing so will make you more likely to stick with it.

 Mistake #4: Over-eating after a workout. Exercisers often think they have "earned" the extra calories burned through a workout and end up overriding their fitness progress by eating more than normal.

 Solution: Many weight loss experts cite this as the reason why exercisers actually put on extra pounds. Be aware of your food intake after a workout and keep in mind that while your body needs carbohydrates and protein to refuel after exercising, your post-workout intake should not be significantly more than your normal intake.

Mistake #5: Replacing sleep with exercise. With busy schedules and hectic work weeks, people sometimes sacrifice sleep in order to fit in a workout.

 Solution: Sleep is vital for hormonal balance. While adjusting your schedule to incorporate fitness is important, it should not mean that you are going without sleep to do so. If you are getting up one hour earlier to exercise, go to bed one hour earlier to maintain a healthy balance.

 A successful year in fitness starts with a plan of daily goals and builds gradually to achieve realistic objectives.

 Fit Tips are provided by Life Fitness, the leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality exercise equipment for fitness facilities and homes worldwide. For more information on Fit Tips and other fitness advice and expertise visit www.lifefitness.com