Many women head to the gym or hit the streets regularly with the goal of losing weight, trimming inches off of their frame and more. Commonly, however, many women fail to achieve their fitness goals. This can be frustrating and even demotivating. By understanding some of the more common mistakes that women make when working out, you may be able to make constructive changes so that you enjoy better results.
Not Lifting Weights
When exercising, you understandably want to enjoy an intense calorie burn. After all, burning calories is linked to weight loss. However, lifting weights regularly and improving muscle mass may increase your metabolic rate at rest and help you to burn more calories even when you are not working out. In addition, toning your muscles can help you decrease flab and trim the inches that you desire.
Failing to Workout Enough
Most people have read or heard various things about how frequently and how long they should workout to achieve the best results. While some people believe that exercising for an hour two or three times per week is enough, this may not actually be true. If you want to lose weight, squeezing in more workouts each week is imperative. Even if your workouts are shorter in length, frequency can work in your favor.
Focusing on One Activity
Many people have a favorite exercise they like or a gym machine that they flock to. Regardless of where you normally workout, it is important that you switch up your routine regularly. This can help you to burn calories while working different muscles. Rather than improve the tone and strength of the same limited number of muscles, you can more easily enjoy total body results when you switch things up regularly.
Forgetting to Stretch
Stretching after a workout is important for your health as well as for your post-workout comfort. It can prevent injuries. It may also stretch some of the muscles that you have focused on intensely so that you pain level is diminished going forward. Spend at least five minutes stretching after each workout.
Failing to Focus on Diet
Remember that it is not enough to simply exercise regularly and burn calories. In order to improve your wellness and lose weight, if desired, you need to give your body adequate nutrition. You also need to avoid consuming unnecessary fats and sugars. Only consume healthy carbs in moderation for energy. When you spend as much effort adjusting and improving your diet as you do on exercising regularly, you may enjoy fabulous results.
Not Drinking Enough Water
Another common mistake that some women make involves water consumption. The general concept is to drink eight glasses of water each day, and these should be eight-ounce glasses. However, a better rule of thumb is to focus on the color of your urine. When your urine is a darker shade of yellow, your body needs more water. If your urine is almost clear, you may not need to drink as much. Your urine ideally should be a pale shade of yellow.
Your primary goals associated with working out regularly may be to improve your fitness level or to lose weight. Regardless of your goals, you should understand these common mistakes that women make, and you should actively combat the mistakes that are relevant to you.
