Health Care

How many times have exercise-related injuries led you to a doc? It is time you take stock of these common mistakes at the gym…

Exercising isn’t complicated. But, for those of you who are less informed or overzealous,(or both), it’s very easy to tear a muscle or pull a ligament and end up visit- ing the OPD’s clinic more regularly than the gym.
It’s crucial to understand what not to do- especially if you’re starting off on a weightloss/gain programme or a physique-building mission. Take note of the following common mis-takes and how to avoid them.

Too much, too soon
Perhaps the most common folly-which often proves to be injuri-ous to health-is overdoing it. Many new exercisers try to loss weight, or tone up too quickly, by exercising too frequently or trying exercise programmes that are too difficult for their fitness levels. Be sure to start with an exercise plan that takes your current fitness state(or lack of it) into account.

Ignoring expert advice
Are you a self-appointed guru at various tasks? Don’t try this while exercising! It’s always advisable to consult your physician before starting an exercise programme. Working with a fitness professional is also a good idea, so you can learn proper techniques, get the latest fitness information and learn how to avoid injuries.

Improper breathingIncorrect breathing can lead to lack of oxygen in the body and even fainting. While working out, ensure that your breathing is not shallow. Try to breath through the nose and
the mouth.

Selecting the wrong size
Choosing the proper weight size while strength training is trickier than it sounds. Lifting weights that are too heavy for you can lead to improper form and ultimately to injuries. Using light-weights can render your session ineffective.

Not staying hydrated
Drinking enough water on a daily basis is important. When you exercise you need to consume even more water. You should drink two liters for every hour of exercise you complete. Plus, you should try to consume one to two glasses of water, about 30 minutes before you begin working out.

Eating too little
Not eating enough can be as detrimental as eating too much. When the body is not fed consistently, it goes into a starvation mode. Five to six small meals evenly spaced throughout the day helps keep the metabolism running smoothly.

Distractions aplenty
Just showing up at the gym is not going to help you get fit. Socializing while leaning on a weight machine won’t build muscles. It’s important to enjoy your exercise time, but make sure that the focus remains on physical activity.

Fixating on the scale
Many professional athletes would be considered obese based on their weight alone. Monitor our body fat percentage. Otherwise track measurements. Also, don’t underestimate the importance of improved physical and mental wellbeing.

So, you want to catch the eye of that sexy little aerobic instructor. For starters, ditch the muscleman tees and go with the preppy or sporty look. Leave something to the imagination: You don’t need to strut around your stuff all the time, for heaven sakes. This means only slightly fitted, plain cotton T-shirt. Sober colors – navy, gray, or white – lend a more mature look. If you have run a marathon in the past 2 years and have the T-shirt to prove it, put it on. Legs should be covered by sweatpants or by shorts that stop just above the knee – no higher. Keep socks short and white. No exceptions. 

HAVE FUN, BURN FAT- Joining your kids in a game of Dog- and-the-Bone can be beneficial as certain gym workouts, according to a new study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. Just 20 minutes of playing soccer and dodgeball raised adult’s heartbeats to 88per cent of their maximum and burned 160 calories, researchers found; half an hour burned 240 calories-about the same as a moderate bike ride. The games were more than enough “to produce training effects and benefits from physical activity,” says study coauthor Philip Watts, Ph. D., of Northern Michigan University. 

GUT REACTION - Vanderbilt University researchers have found that 10-15 minutes of giggling and hearty laughter can burn as many calories as in s medium square of chocolate. To gauge the energy expended by laughing, the Scientists shut 45 volunteers in a metabolic chamber and had them watch comedy clips on TV. The specially designed room measured how much oxygen the laughers breathed in and how much carbon dioxide they exhaled.

Clipping a pedometer onto your waistband in the morning can make active – even if you don’t “exercise”.

When a group of sedentary people were given a daily goal of “10,000 steps of brisk activity”, their improvements in fitness level, blood pressure, and body aft over 2 years were comparable to those of a group that followed a traditional gym-based aerobic programme.
The pedometers made counting steps easy and fun, and acted as a motivational tool by providing immediate feedback.

“Most people are shocked to realize that they are sitting for 12-14 hours a day and taking an average of only 2,000 to 3,000 steps,” says Andrea Dunn, PhD, of The Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas. Once the participants realized this, they started changing it by taking stretch breaks, walking in airports and railway stations, using rest rooms on other floors and pacing the sidelines of their children’s soccer fields. “The pedometers make it a game to get you moving,” says Dr. Dunn.

Even if you walk regularly, you are probably not hitting 10,000 steps, which is about 5-6 miles. That’s why it’s important to be active all day long. If you are trying to lose weight, you may need to up your tally to around 18,000 steps.