How to Avoid Making Five Critical Fitness Mistakes

Don't think it's all or nothing. One of the main reasons people start and abandon workout routines is because they do too much at once and then are either too sore or too tired to continue. While you may want to exercise six days a week for a couple of hours, your body or your schedule may only allow for 30 minutes three times a week. It may not be ideal, but it's still better than no exercise at all.

Avoid setting unreasonable goals. Unrealistic goals are one of the most common mistakes beginners make. The body is not made to lose more than 1-2 pounds a week, nor can you become a runner in a couple of weeks after a lifetime of being sedentary. Doing 10 minutes of ab repetitions will not make you look like a Hollywood star either, no matter what the infomercials may promise. Consistency and long-term goals are the key to success.

Don't do the same exercises over and over. Vary your workout frequently. Many people make the mistake of sticking to the same routine for months (or years) at a time. The truth is that the body gets used to movements and becomes more efficient to doing them without spending too much energy. In the long run, this leads to plateaus and lack of improvement in cardiovascular fitness and muscle tone. For better results, vary your workout every week, so the muscles get "confused" and react better.

Stop exercising to spot reduce. There's no such thing as "spot reducing." Exercises for a specific body part are meant to strengthen and tone that area, but they will not cause you to lose fat or make that part smaller. Body fat is only lost through a full-body workout, and you can't control which area loses fat first. Abdominal exercises will tone your stomach and lower back area, but unless you lose excess body fat, the muscles you are building will not show.

Avoid focusing on one type of exercise. Women are sometimes weary of following an intensive weight training because they think it will lead to them looking "too buff." Men, on the other hand, may concentrate too much on resistance training and forgo cardio. The best exercise routine is a balanced mix of both areas. Weight training increases metabolism and speeds up the fat burning process, which is especially important for women, whose total body fat percentage is higher than men. Contrary to popular belief, women will not develop large muscles by working out with weights, as they lack enough testosterone for this to happen with a basic, standard workout done at a gym or at home. For men, cardio will increase cardiovascular fitness and help prevent heart disease, as well as help increase stamina and reduce stress.