Common Mistakes People Make When Starting A Fitness Program
Keeping yourself fit is essential to ensure your holistic wellbeing. Exercise and nutrition are an integral part of keeping your body and mind healthy. While many people set out on a fitness journey by taking up some form of exercise to achieve their fitness goals, some commit avoidable mistakes that hinder their fitness progress. Therefore, it’s advisable to seek assistance from a personal trainer to help you along your fitness journey by making sure that you exercise correctly and remain motivated.
A personal trainer will teach you forms of exercise that suit your body type and meet your needs. Moreover, they will measure your progress and tweak your workout routine from time to time. By working with a trainer, you will be able to avoid mistakes that many make when they set out on a fitness program, thereby hampering their progress. To help you steer clear of such situations, CG Training has compiled a list of the most common mistakes people make when starting a fitness program and how to avoid them.
1. Not setting up an exercise schedule
You should figure out what days and times you will set aside for your fitness before you start a fitness program. Write it in your schedule book or your calendar and stick to it, or hire a personal trainer and book two to four weeks ahead of time. By knowing when you will work out, you can prioritize it and make sure it happens. Then when it’s done, you can put a checkmark next to it. This will keep you motivated. By not setting a schedule, you are leaving it up to chance, and therefore your results will not be what you want, and you may give up early. A schedule will help you give structure to your fitness program.
2. Not changing their lifestyle
By not changing your lifestyle in regards to your eating habits, you are not truly committing yourself to the task. You can’t have this great new workout schedule or program while you’re still eating the same foods. I recommend writing down what you’re eating for three to seven days. This way, you can see if what you’re eating is really working for you or if you need to slightly alter your diet. Making small changes at first can turn into significant changes later. You can even write down the day before what you are going to eat the next day and create your own meal plan.
3. Relying too much on a workout partner
A lot of people start a program with a friend. They rely on that friend to motivate them, but then when their friend cancels, they end up not working out as well, which sabotages their workout plans. It is great to have a workout partner but make sure this partner is as motivated and committed as you. Having a personal trainer and setting appointments will definitely help with adherence to partner training. Don’t feel bad if you need to stop working out with someone because your journey is your journey; it doesn’t depend on what anyone else is doing. You can still include them in other activities, for eg., going for walks or bike rides.
4. Using improper equipment or gear
You can’t start a new workout program with five-year-old shoes. You’re going to be spending a lot of time in those shoes with your new fitness routine, and you don’t want to end up with blisters or a broken ankle because your shoes are not supportive enough. You should get new exercise clothes as when you’re exercising; you don’t want baggy shirts and pant legs that could get caught in machines. Equipment is an essential part as well if you are working out at home. You have to go out and get the basic essentials, and you can build as the years go on. Typically, you will want five and eight-pound weights, maybe a band for leg work, and resistance bands for many upper body exercises. A ten or fifteen lb kettlebell is a great tool for many lower and upper body exercises as well. If you have all these things prepared, you have all you need to get started.
If you’re looking to avoid these and other mistakes related to fitness, reach out to Connie Girardin at CG Training. With over fifteen years of experience as a personal trainer, I can offer my clients quality training at non-gym prices in a private, relaxed environment. I tailor my training sessions to meet my clients’ goals, needs, and capabilities. I provide one-on-one personal training, partner personal training, fitness kickboxing, and group strength training classes to clients across Windsor, Essex, Tecumseh, LaSalle, and McGregor, Ontario.
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