Fitness Fails: 6 Exercise Mistakes Stopping You From Losing Weight

The journey of losing weight is tough on the mental health of people, as many of us suffer from weight insecurities due to societal constructs. The overall lifestyle dictates how effective the weight loss journey can be. In India, the high-carbohydrate diet affects weight loss; this is not only the sole factor, as sitting hours, along with societal pressures, can hinder weight loss efforts. In order to lose weight, people practice a daily regimen, but the key aspect to consider while exercising daily is to follow the proper procedure of exercising to reap the maximum physical and mental health benefits.

A study from The Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism (2016) points out that less than 10% of Asian Indians living in India perform any kind of physical exercise. This means that the majority of Indians need to practice some form of physical exercise to have a healthy lifestyle, free from diseases that can impair quality of life. But even the physically exercising 10% of the population is making some mistakes that are affecting their weight loss efforts.

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6 Common Exercise Mistakes That Hinder Weight Loss

The process of exercising should help open up the stiff joints, tighten the muscles, and reduce the hip-to-height ratio. But if the number on the scale is not budging, then there may be some mistakes that could hinder maintaining a healthy weight. These fitness fails are common, often unintentional, exercise mistakes that need to be fixed for effective weight loss. Achieving a fit body should go hand in hand with a healthy diet to yield maximum results on the body, both visible externally and internally in blood work panels. The common exercise that most Indians engage in while exercising can be:

1. Relying Only On Cardio

One of the most common exercise mistakes that stops people from losing weight is solely doing cardio exercises and assuming they will yield in shaping the complete body. Be it running on a treadmill at the gym or running on a running track daily or even twice a day, any of these cardio exercises is not enough for losing weight. It is important to swap 50% of the time spent on cardio with two to three days of dedicated strength training exercises. This change will result in muscle mass maintenance, which boosts the metabolism of the body, aiding in weight loss.

2. The Weekend Warrior

Being sedentary from Monday to Friday, and then attempting strenuous exercise regimens on the weekend to compensate, will not aid in weight loss. There is an increasing need to be consistent with the exercise regimen, be it in a gym or at home next to an air purifier. Working out daily is important for maintaining a healthy weight and mitigating disease risk. When it comes to fitness, that can only be achieved through discipline throughout the week by consistently exercising and being motivated. To fix this exercise mistake, even allotting 30 minutes for five days a week for exercise is enough and better than indulging in strenuous high-intensity workouts for losing weight.

This swap will also help in reducing injury risk, as being sedentary and switching to a complete fitness enthusiast on the weekends can result in unwanted workout injuries.

3. Not Tracking Non-Exercise Activity Levels

The act of prolonged sitting during the day can hinder exercise efforts and their results. If there is a majority chunk of time that someone is staying stationary and exercising for an hour, then the deficit matters. To fix this exercise mistake, the introduction of simple exercise challenges like the daily step challenge, desk breaks, walking phone calls, taking the stairs, and aiming for 8,000 to 10,000 steps of daily walking can make a huge difference. All these simple changes can increase the daily activity levels and aid in making a tough weight loss journey easier.

4. The Post-Workout Meal

Daily exercising can be hard, so rewarding only seems fair, but it is pertinent to be mindful of what is being eaten. As maximum nutrient absorption in the body takes place after exercising. The expectation of a reward after a workout session is valid, but choosing the right post-workout reward meal is of utmost importance. If there are unhealthy choices in front, instead of indulging, smart swapping is the best bet for effective weight loss. The post-workout meal should contain protein and complex carbohydrates in proper portions as per the dietary requirements of the body and daily activity level.

5. Neglecting Form For Speed or Weight

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, it can seem impossible not to hurry to get everything done throughout the day, but when it comes to exercise, hold the brakes. Hurrying through the reps or using momentum or lifting heavy weights too fast can result in workout injuries. Alongside increased workout injury risk, poor muscle engagement is also an issue when it comes to speeding through an exercise routine. The economic workload can reduce attention on the type of exercise that the body needs for effective weight loss, but a smart fix is to exercise in front of a mirror or exercise slowly, watching the form while exercising. The key is to slowly increase the weights for strength training for proper results and satisfaction.

6. Undervaluing Hydration And Sleep

A schedule of inconsistency where proper hydration and sleep are neglected can hinder any and all exercise efforts. For effective weight loss, there needs to be a nexus of a proper exercise routine and a schedule of eating right on time, hydrating throughout the day, and resting for about seven hours a day for men and eight hours a day for women. This trio will accelerate any and all weight loss efforts and improve weight loss efforts. In order to achieve this, make sure that there are adequate daily water intake goals to stop fatigue and maintain energy levels. And one of the most important mistakes to fix should be the sleep schedule, as an abrupt sleep schedule can increase hunger and fat storage, defeating any weight loss efforts.

These six failures while exercising can be fixed through a mindful approach and lead to big results. And don't be overwhelmed if there are multiple mistakes to fix, just fix one mistake a week and take it from there.

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