Simply going to the gym doesn't guarantee you a good workout. Reading a magazine while running and skipping breakfast to attend an aerobics class are common practices that many people often do, but the effect is not as good as you think. Here are the six worst exercise habits that personal trainers say they see every day, and they also provide the best ways to avoid wasting time in the gym.
1. Reading while exercising: If you concentrate on reading a fashion magazine, it means that you can't pay attention to the exercise you are doing at the same time.
Amy Hoff, a fitness consultant at the New York Sports Club, said that reading while exercising is the worst thing. "If you are going to exercise, you have to concentrate on your body," she said.
If you need to do something else at the same time to make the exercise less boring, Hoff recommends wearing headphones and watching TV, which does not require as much concentration as reading.
2. Exercise until you sweat profusely: Exercising until you sweat profusely may make people feel that they have obtained a fuller exercise, but in fact, you only lose a few pounds of water. In addition to being unhealthy, it has no effect.
"One of the things that has puzzled me for 30 or 40 years is that people still try to lose weight by sweating more," said Mark Ochipindi, president of the National Association of Fitness Industry Practitioners. "They exercise in hot environments, thinking that they can lose weight, but in fact they are just dehydrating themselves." Excessive sweating can also lead to cramps and other sports injuries.
When exercising, please make sure you have a bottle of water at hand to replenish water at any time.
3. Only ride a stationary bike: Simply riding a stationary bike or running on a treadmill will not have the effect of strength training. "Walking a mile can burn 100 calories; but in the same 20 minutes, if you do weight-bearing exercises on the machine, you can burn 300 to 400 calories." Ochipindi said.
Strength training can also help you strengthen the muscle groups needed for daily life, such as climbing stairs or lifting heavy objects, and help you maintain muscle shape and delay muscle relaxation caused by age.
4. Avoid weightlifting: Women are often afraid that weightlifting will make them look like bodybuilders. In fact, there is no need to be afraid. It's a common misconception that lifting weights or strength training will make women grow big muscles.
"Unless you're taking growth hormones at the same time, that's not going to happen," Ochipindi said. "Doing weight training won't turn you into a horrible monster."
5. Exercise on an empty stomach: Exercising on an empty stomach is like driving a tank without gas. Your body needs energy to keep running.
Some healthy snacks, such as oatmeal or bananas, can be digested on the way to the gym and provide you with the extra energy you need for the next exercise.
This is especially important when exercising in the morning because after a night, your stomach is empty and the calories have been consumed. You need to add some fuel to it to get it started again.