Beginners Mistakes

Starting an exercise routine can provide you with many health benefits such as weight loss, increased muscle mass, lower blood pressure and improved self-image. But sometimes starting out can be difficult. Here are 5 common mistakes beginners make when starting to work out and how to avoid them. 

1. Overwhelming Yourself:

It can be easy for a beginner to take on too much when starting to exercise. You can avoid doing that by setting realistic goals for yourself. Instead of saying you want to work out every day, it might be better to set a goal of going 4-5 times a week, giving yourself rest days. You should also start slow in your workouts. Be aware that everyone progresses differently. You should monitor your workouts and make changes to your work out as needed. 

2. Not Having a Plan:

Going to the gym without a plan can lead to beginners just roaming around the gym looking for exercises to do. It is important that you know what your workout is going to be. You can avoid this mistake by setting a plan for each day. Before going to work out, do your research and decide which muscle groups you want to work on each day. There are tons of websites out there that can help you come up with a weekly exercise plan. They have videos and write ups that explain to you what the exercise is and which muscle group it will target.

3. Thinking Cardio is Enough:

Even though cardiovascular activity is a must if you want to get rid of fat, many people think that just doing cardio is enough when working out. In reality, resistance training builds muscle which increases your metabolism and burns more calories. We see this mistake more so with women thinking that strength training can make them bulky, when really lifting weights will help tone and create long lean muscle. Also, creating lean muscle will allow your body to burn up to four times more calories than before.  

4. Getting Stuck in the Same Routine:

When you are new to something, it can be easy to do the same thing over and over again because it is comfortable. Continuing to do the same exercise plan can lead to a fitness plateau. Constantly adding variety into your workout can help keep your body progressing towards your goals. Small changes you can make to your workout can be things like changing the number of reps, weight, sets and range of motion. You can also change the style of your workout completely. Try something like yoga, spin or kickboxing.

5. Eating too Little:

Diet and exercise go hand in hand. With that being said, it is really important that you are eating enough. A lot of beginners cut calories to drastically and that can lead to your metabolism slowing down, causing you to not lose as much weight as you hoped. It is recommended that you eat about 1,200 calories a day. One should incorporate tons of water and protein into their diet to lose weight but remember to eat the appropriate amount.

 The authors：

    Mandy  

Mandy 

Mandy was born and raised in Fullerton, California. She attended the University of Arizona where she graduated with a degree in Journalism and Communications. Mandy has been an instructor for UDA for the past 5 years. She has taught all across the United States in both the junior high and high school level.