The most important thing about getting and staying fit isn’t necessarily what exercise you choose but about sticking to your plan for the long term. This mean setting your self up for failure by getting injured and preventing your ability to exercise. Nothing wrecks morale more than not being able to continue what you have started. Let’s look at three common failures that sabotage your efforts:
Hitting the ground running: No matter how excited you are, it’s very important to warm up properly before beginning any form of exercise. Younger athletes think they’re invincible and learn this lesson the hard way with a strained hamstring, knee and shoulder injuries or other issues that stops them dead in their tracks. Don’t learn the hard way. Always do dynamic warm-ups before exercising and a post-exercise cooldown stretching routine.
Speed Over Form: Speed is an important training tool, to be sure: think interval sprints and any resistance exercise that oxygenates the blood, building muscle endurance. But if you sacrifice proper form, you’re in for a real eye-opener. Particularly when lifting weights, deliberate repetitions reflecting proper form (for example, keeping the back straight, bending the knees slightly, etc.) can ensure you finish your workout and are in a healthy position to do the next one – and the one after that.
Ignoring the Pain: There’s a difference between pushing through muscle / cardiovascular fatigue while exercising and ignoring an acute or chronic pain that could lead to a significant injury over time. Fitness is a lifelong pursuit, so make sure you’re in it for life by taking care of your body when it needs it which includes proper rest, good nutrition and conservative treatment of injuries in a timely fashion.