5 Common Mistakes Beginners Make in Fitness
Let's talk about the 5 common mistakes beginners make when starting a new fitness journey, the below are not the only one’s people struggle with, but they are the most common.
1. Only focusing on scale weight
The scale is a great tool to gather a starting place or a way to track fluctuation of weight due to water and other factors. There are many things that can alter body weight and the scale can change 2-4 pounds daily! I personally do not encourage clients not to weight themselves, I instead tell them to look for little victories. Things like how you feel, how your sleep is going, how your clothes fit and body measurements! Those little victories can have a more positive effect on your progress then the scale number can.
2. Not lifting weights
Just doing cardio is not going to get you to your goals, you need resistance; and news flash- resistance training will not make you bulky! It will make you strong and get you to your goals quicker. The only way strength training will make you bulky is when your diet consists of more calories then you are expending. There are many benefits to lifting weights that people don’t know about and most think its not for them, that its just for body builders!
Strength training can help you replace current fat with muscle, can help you lost weight, can help you firm up parts of your body (toning is not a real term), it can help de-stress and help burn more calories than cardio alone.
3. Not sleeping enough
People generally need 7-9 hours of sleep a night and if you are not sleeping enough your progress might be slow to start or stall after time. Sleep helps us repair, recover and replenish stores in the body. Make sure you are prioritizing your sleep to ensure you are going to get the most out of your training sessions.
Having trouble sleeping? Here are a few tips below
-Try making a bedtime routine and sticking to it, after time your body will know its time for bed when you start the routine each night.
-Try some meditation, journaling or deep breathing exercises to quite the mind
-Turn off the screen, set your phone aside 30 minutes before you go to sleep, turn off the tv and try to do something else like reading a book or a brain puzzle of some kind.
4. Having unrealistic expectations
You are only going to lose a lot of weight really fast by crash dieting or harsh training, these are not sustainable and may get you to your goal but then you will gain all that weight back the second you stop. Thinking you are going to lose all that weight in a month or be able to lift heavy in a few weeks is not real and you need to make sure your program is adapted for you as an individual.
Working with a professional is the perfect way to ensure you are setting SMART and realistic goals for yourself. Someone who can progress you in a unique way that challenges you yet still is real to follow and understandable.
5. You do too much too fast
It takes anywhere from 4-12 weeks for a body to adapt and make changes depending on your goals. Remember to pace yourself and take it slow, you should be trying to make long life changes not just do a quick and dirty routine to get there. Remember you have time to achieve the things and its okay to take it slow as long as you are still progressing.
Always remember to keep it simple and Be Fit. Be Well.