This is a list of ten common mistakes made during exercise. Quite often the exerciser and even the personal trainer or coach is unaware of these mistakes, reducing the effectiveness of the exercise and even risking injury. This list describes each "mistake" but follows with a suggested "correction". You may find this list helpful in grading yourself or even your personal trainer.

Ineffective warm up prior to a workout

The purpose of a warm-up is to gently prepare the body for the increased stress from the upcoming exercise session. A 5 – 10 min bout of moderate intensity cycling, treadmill walking or elliptical work or even sports specific type movements to indu a mild, sustained stretch will be sufficient. These activities have the effect of increasing blood flow to the muscles (including the heart) and increasing the core muscle temperature for improved joint flexibility and range of motion, possibly helping reduce injury.

Quite often exercisers go to the extreme when it concerns a warm up, they either do not perform one at all, or "prefatigue" by running at a high intensity for 15 -20 minutes (or more) before their session. This has the effect of draining valuable muscle carbohydrate stores (glycogen) needed for the upcoming strength training / bodybuilding exercise session.

If the goal of exercise is to lose weight, it is actually better to perform extended aerobic exercise or interval training at the end of an intense strength training session as the body will be likely to burn more fat as a fuel due to the decreased glycogen stores .

Ineffective stretching

Many individuals and personal trainers lack the knowledge to perform stretches effectively. For example, when performing a static hamstring stretch on the floor with the leg straight up in the air it is essential to press the opposite leg onto the floor to prevent excessive posterior (back) tilting of the pelvis. Posterior tilting will decrease the effectiveness of the stretch.

When performing a dynamic stretch like a lunge to stretch the groin and thigh muscles, the spine (and pelvis) must remain erect and perpendicular to the floor otherwise the effect is lost. Exercisers that stretch in the standing position while holding onto or pressing against some external source of stabilization deprive themselves of full benefit.

It may beneficial to perform dynamic stretches with good technique in unsupported standing and lunge type positions at the beginning of the session. This has the effect of simultaneously targeting balance (core stability) and flexibility while preparing the body and joints for movement during the strength training exercise to follow. Static stretching may be more effective at the end of the workout session as the muscles will be warm and pliable.

Excessive use of machines

As mentioned in other articles on this website, exclusive use of exercise machines deprives the core muscles of stimulation and forces muscles to work either in isolation or in static, non functional patterns. While some machines such as leg press machines and assisted pull up / dip … Read More

Now that you have created a burning desire to be fit, healthy and attractive, and have begon secretly conspiring to satisfy your desires, the obvious question becomes …

How?

There are so many different types of fitness products to choose from … all claiming to be your perfect fitness, health and physique solution.

* So many recommendations …
* So many famous personalities …
* So many advertisements …

But which fitness product will work best for you?

Here are some characteristics to look for when choosing a fitness product.

The more of these characteristics the fitness product has … the better the chance you will succeed in achieving your fitness, health and physique goals.

Your Physical Fitness Program Must Be … Effective

While this characteristic seems like a no-brainer … you would be surprised at just how many people are actively using a fitness product that will never give them the results they seek.

Many people say they want improve their level of fitness … and get a bodybuilding product.

Big muscles are not necessarily indicative of a high level of fitness.

Many people say they want to lose fat … and get an aerobic endurance product.

Aerobic training is only a part of the fat loss equation, and will not produce the lean, muscular, athletic body most people want … regardless of all the hard work. The point is, make sure the fitness product you choose is designed to get the results you want … or you are doomed to failure before you begin. If you want to increase fitness, improve health and develop an attractive physique … look for fitness products designed to produce these results.

Your Physical Fitness Program Must Be … Interesting

Let's face it, if you are not interested in the fitness product you choose … you will not use it long enough to see results.

I do not care if the fitness product was proven to work by thousands of scientific studies … it will have no positive effect on your fitness, health or physique if you do not do it.

And you will not do it … if it does not hold your attention and peak your interest.

No matter how many times you say …

"This time I'm not giving up until I get the results I want."

… you will ever give up if the fitness product is not interesting to you.

Do not force yourself to struggle with a fitness product you hate … look for interesting fitness products that fit into your lifestyle and match your personality.

You should look forward to physical training … not dread it!

Your Physical Fitness Program Must Be … Modifiable

There is not one fitness product in existence that can be all things to all people … regardless of what all the slick-sentenced advertisements say.

Fitness products must be modifiable to your goals, needs, abilities and limitations … you must be given a degree of freedom to make the physical fitness program … Read More

With the many factors involved in maintaining a healthy cholesterol level; your exercise regimen is one of the most important. Dietary requirements is also vital but coupled with an exercise program will provide maximum benefits in your efforts to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. The key benefit of exercising to control your cholesterol is that it keeps the bad cholesterol from building up to dangerous levels. Exercising also keeps your weight under control because being overweight throws your body out of balance by allowing a rise in LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowering HDL (good) cholesterol leaving you at risk for heart disease and other health problems. In conjuction with a healthy diet, an exercise regimen can actually reduce your cholesterol levels by up to 10%.

Developing an exercise program is easier than it looks, a 30 minute work out a day is typically all you need to maintain a healthy body. This does not necessarily mean joining a fitness club, if you are committed, have the mental discipline and the means to do so, go for it! Walking a tread mill to burn calories and working out with weights tone the body while bringing your cholesterol levels into balance. Low impact aerobic exercise is considered the optimal form of work out for those with high cholesterol. If you are dieting, exercising increases the effectiveness of your weight loss program. But most of those join these clubs go for the first few weeks and eventually stop going at all, wasting both time and money. But an exercise program does not have to include an array of work out equipment. Taking brisk walks, light jogging, swimming or even working in your garden is considered beneficial forms of exercise. Exercising increases cardiovascular activity which has a positive effect on heart health while lowering the bad cholesterol and increasing the good cholesterol. It is important to find an activity that is right for you.

By implementing an exercise program into your daily regimen you will not only lower your cholesterol but you will feel and look better. We all want to live long and healthy lives but it is up to us to take the initiative to control of our health so we may accomplish this. … Read More