5 Factors That Are Hurting Your Workouts

You’ve already made the first step in committing to a fitness routine, so why aren’t you seeing much progress? In order for you to really start seeing results, it’s essential to avoid certain exercise hazards and/or lifestyle inhibitors that could be hurting your workouts and interfering with your ability to reach long-term success in achieving all of your health and wellness goals.

Not only can these factors / bad habits derail your fitness journey, they could also be making you feel weaker, less motivated, defeated, and [worst case scenario] even injured!

1. NOT SLEEPING ENOUGH

If you aren’t getting sleep, you’re undermining your body. Your body needs sleep so that it can restore muscle, which helps you feel refreshed when you wake up the next day. Both muscle repair and muscle strengthening occur during slumber, which is why you might feel sore the following day after a bad night’s sleep. This, in turn, can interfere with your future workouts.

2. DEHYDRATION

It’s not just important to replace fluids lost through sweat when exercising, you need to make sure you are getting enough fluids throughout the day for your mind and body to function at their best. Because the human body is made up of about 80% water, every organ, cell, and tissue in our bodies needs water to function properly.  Signs you aren’t hydrating enough:

• experience weakness & fatigue

• muscle tightness

• lightheadedness or headaches

• weight gain

• dull skin or dry mouth

3. IMBALANCED NUTRITION

Food is fuel for exercising, even if you’re looking to lose weight. One of the biggest nutrition misconceptions is the idea of eating less and working out more to lose weight. The best way to speed up metabolism, maximize burn and help the body function properly is by eating balanced foods. This includes complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein. Limiting your nutrition intake to below what it needs will not just hinder how you perform during your workouts, but how you sustain everyday activities.

4. LACK OF EXERCISE VARIETY

The body and mind can easily get accustomed to certain moves, which often can lead to lack of motivation and boredom. Unless there’s a change (even minor, such as bodyweight HIIT moves), it will stop producing the same results because it’s no longer getting that burn through that ‘shock’ or push value. Yes, it feels great to master a workout, making you feel confident and in control… but your body adjusts to the same moves over time, thus your results might plateau. Since the bodies are easily adaptive, you should always be altering your workouts. Get out of your comfort zone and push the limit so that you aren’t continuing to do things that are easy. Limiting your body will not make it stronger.

5. NOT DEFINING YOUR GOALS

You’ve already accomplished your goal of getting started, now you just need to make sure these objectives are obtainable. It’s important to define your fitness goals that will hold you accountable but also encourage you to push through temporary discomfort for longer-lasting change. That’s why you need to create goals specifically targeted to your preferences and lifestyle. Not being clear can weaken a workout. Ex: you aren’t going to achieve your goal of gaining muscle if all you do is cardio.