We all know that men have a reputation for being a little less than reliable when it comes to their health. But, with guys like Dwayne Johnson, Chris Hemsworth, and Ryan Reynolds making fitness such an attractive lifestyle, it’s no surprise that more and more men are taking their health seriously.
But with the influx of newbies comes the troubling fact that some of them are falling for bad advice that may lead to developing bad habits.
No matter where you are in your fitness journey, it can be easy to fall into bad habits. While the road to success might seem like an uphill battle, these lifestyle changes may be just the thing you need to overcome those obstacles.
If you have made a commitment to improve your health and fitness, be aware of some of the most common mistakes people make. With a little bit of dedication, you can avoid these pitfalls and get back on track toward reaching your goals. Here are five common habits men should avoid in fitness if they want to make progress quickly and safely.
Working out too hard
This is a common mistake people make when they are just starting out with their exercise routine. They think that they need to go all out and push their bodies as far as they can go in order to see results. However, overdoing it at first can actually do more harm than good. It can result in injuries that will prevent you from working out for a while or even permanently if not taken seriously. Instead, start off slow by doing light cardio for about 20 minutes per day and increase your time and intensity over time.
Skipping meals and not eating enough calories
One of the biggest mistakes men will make when it comes to working out is not eating enough food throughout the day. You need energy from food in order to train effectively, so it’s important to fuel up before you work out.
If you are trying to lose weight, keep in mind that you will need more calories than someone who isn’t exercising as much as you are. In fact, many people are under the impression that they can lose weight by simply cutting back on their food intake or skipping meals altogether.
But this is not true! If anything, you will be doing yourself a disservice by depriving your body of the nutrients and calories it needs in order to function properly. As long as you burn more calories than what you eat, your body will start using its fat stores for fuel instead of glucose.
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Not sleeping enough
You want to get ripped? Sleep more! The average person who works out five days a week should be getting seven to eight hours of sleep per day. This will help with recovery and muscle growth – two things that are necessary for fat loss and toning up. If you’re sleeping less than seven hours per night consistently, your body is not going to react as well to your workouts as it could/should – no matter how clean your diet is or how perfect your workout plan may be.
Skipping workouts
If you are exercising regularly but find yourself missing workouts from time to time, it is important to re-evaluate your priorities. Ultimately, being healthy is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and our families.
In order to reap the benefits of working out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you must make time in your busy schedule for exercise. Even if it means getting up a few minutes earlier or staying up later, do whatever it takes to fit in at least 30 minutes of exercise three times per week. If needed, put it on your calendar so that others know not to schedule anything during that time.
Not warming up
There is no two ways about it: every guy who exercises should warm up. Period. Most men just want to dive right into the good stuff without spending the time to warm up their muscles properly.
Warming up is important for several reasons. First, if your body is not prepared for exercise, you will be more susceptible to injuries like pulled muscles. A good warm-up should take at least 10 minutes and consist of at least a five-minute cardio activity such as walking or jogging and some basic stretching exercises. This will raise your body temperature and get the blood flowing to your muscles.
Second, a warm-up will help you perform better during your workout. This can mean that you can lift more weight or improve your cardiovascular endurance. When you are warmed up and ready to go, your body will respond better to the stress you are putting on it.
Finally, warming up is important because it will cause an increase in body temperature which decreases pain perception. In other words, if you are warmed up and ready for a high-intensity workout, it will not hurt as much or feel as uncomfortable when you do it.
Conclusion
It is all too easy to succumb to bad habits. But you can counteract these bad habits and make this year your best yet by avoiding the five pitfalls mentioned in this article.
