Even before the pandemic, people have been working out at home for quite some time. 3 in 4 people say that working out from home isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
If you’ve decided that you want to work out at home, there are several home workout mistakes you need to avoid. When you don’t avoid them, it could lead to you hurting yourself and not getting the most out of every weekly workout schedule you create to achieve your goals.
Get ready to bring your diet and exercise together after checking out the mistakes you should steer clear of at all costs.
1. Not Taking Any Time Off
When you work out outside of the home, it’s easy to find every excuse in the world not to work out, but the same can’t be said when you work out from home. Even if you find it easier to work out as much as you want to while at home, you still need to give yourself at least one day off a week.
There are several reasons you need to ensure your take a day off from working out. Working out too much can lead to issues like:
- Sporting injuries
- Weakened immune system
- Muscles strain and pains
Taking a day off to rest gives your muscles the time they need to repair from the lifts and exercises you’ve done during your workouts. When you work out too much, you do not see the gains you’re hoping to see from the weekly workout schedule.
Instead of working out every day, try to work out every other day, especially if this is your first time working out. Doing this gives your body time to get used to working out and figure out the best time to work out.
It also gives you the time you need to commit to other things that are going on in your life.
2. Exercising, but Not Having the Diet to Match
Some people work out to eat whatever they want to eat, but it’s not benefiting you the way you think it is. If you decide to exercise, your diet needs to follow along accordingly.
Many fitness professionals will tell you that it’s not healthy to cut out any major food groups. It’s better to focus on cutting down things like excess sugars and bad fats, but you can consume them in moderation.
Instead of focusing on consuming junk food, you need to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Diet and exercise go together because your body needs fuel to keep up with your workout schedule.
By eating healthy foods, your body can convert the things you’ve consumed into the energy your body needs to work out. When you consume too many foods that are higher in fat or oils, it can make you feel sluggish and unmotivated.
When you feel this way, it makes it harder to want to get up and exercise. If you’re having problems sticking to a diet, we recommend you don’t buy certain foods.
Instead of keeping items in your home that present a significant amount of temptation, remove them entirely. It’s okay if you’ve never tried eating healthier before because there are tons of unique recipes you can find that provide healthy and tasty options for people looking to make better dietary choices.
3. Lifting Too Heavy or Too Light
Lifting too heavy or too light both have negative consequences for people exercising from home. If this is your first time doing any form of exercise, you need to take your time and begin lifting light.
The purpose of doing it this way is to get better at using the right form when performing certain lifts. As you become more comfortable with each lift, you can begin to increase your weight over time.
A good rule of thumb is to go up to a weight that allows you to lift properly using the right form when lifting weights. If you begin to sacrifice form to lift heavier, you need to decrease the weight you’re using.
On the reverse of this, you don’t want to lift too light because you’re not going to get the results you’re looking for. If you’re lifting and you don’t feel like you’re challenging yourself, increase the weight you’re using.
Again, focus on your form and adjust the weight you’re using accordingly. You should look into strength training classes for the best help possible.
4. Underestimating Body Weight Exercises
Many people assume the only form of exercise is weight lifting, but you shouldn’t underestimate the other forms of exercise that can present you with a significant amount of challenge when you’re working out. Bodyweight exercises that focus on using your body weight as resistance can help you to reach your exercise goals.
For example, you can create a circuit of exercises where you’re using your body weight throughout the exercise. By incorporating bodyweight exercises into your daily routine, you can focus on pushing yourself further in your exercises.
Have you tried to become better at jogging? If so, you can push yourself to run further or increase the resistance on your treadmill each time you fire it up.
Some people take to making pilates a routine part of their workouts. Pilates focuses on making slow and concise movements that will increase the burn in your muscles as you perform them for a specific period of time.
If you think pilates is a joke, you’re mistaken. Try one pilates workout and come back and let us know how you feel after doing it one time.
5. Not Getting Enough Sleep
Several studies have shown how your cognitive ability declines when you don’t get the right amount of sleep. If you’re not able to think clearly, it means you’re increasing the risk of injuring yourself or not dedicating the time and energy needed to your workouts.
If you know you plan to work out the next day, ensure you’re taking time to get enough sleep the night before. Another reason to get a good night of sleep is that not getting enough sleep can negatively affect the hormones present in your body.
When you don’t get the right amount of sleep, it’s safe to say you’re not going to have the energy or motivation to get up and do a workout. Lack of sleep will lead to more days skipped on your workout schedule.
6. Doing Too Much Cardio
While cardio is an essential part of any exercise routine, it shouldn’t be the only thing you focus on when you’re combining diet and exercise. Cardio is essential to improve the endurance and strength of your cardiovascular system.
However, if you want to reduce your body fat and increase lean muscle mass, you need to perform a mixture of cardio and weight lifting exercises. When you create your weekly workout schedule, list a combination of cardio days and days where you focus on weight lifting.
For example, you can list lower body for a few days of the week and focus on doing cardio on the days where you’re lifting upper body. This will help you get the most out of each exercise without taxing your legs twice on leg day.
7. Not Consuming Enough Water
60% of your body is made up of water, but when you don’t consume water, you will become hydrated, and it can affect the ability of your organs to function the way they should. It can be challenging to remember to consume enough water, but it doesn’t have to be.
We recommend keeping a water bottle filled nearby with water to make it easier for you to get in your daily water intake. There are water bottles out there that have times listed on the outside of the bottle.
These times serve as reminders and motivation for you to accomplish your water goals. For example, even if you don’t want to drink any water, all you’ve got to do is pick up the water bottle and drink to the next tick mark before the hour is up.
Before you know it, you’ll have made drinking water a routine part of your day and begin to drink more water than you thought you could. If you’re not sure if you’re consuming enough water, check the color of your urine.
If your urine is dark in color, you’re not consuming enough water throughout the day.
Home Workout Mistakes to Avoid: Getting the Most Out of Every Workout
There are tons of home workout mistakes to avoid, and we’ve listed a few of the most important ones above. These mistakes include not consuming the right amount of water and lifting too heavy or too light throughout the week.
Exercising is about skill and endurance. Check out our different types of workout resources, and if you need more help, don’t forget to contact us and let us get you one step closer to your fitness goals.
