The 6 Mistakes of Health and Fitness

A top concern for most Canadians is overall health and fitness. Many are seeking the advice of professionals for personal programs designed specifically for their lifestyle. Are you working at it but falling a little short of your goals? Here are the top reasons why individuals are missing their goals.

1. Overreliance on cardio

Cardio training can only take you so far. If you really want to meet those goals, you need to add some interval training to your program. Try it two or three times a week; it improves cardiovascular fitness, insulin sensitivity, cholesterol levels and helps reduce fat.

2. Focusing on calories

You need to pay more attention to the quality of your nutrition, not just how many calories you consume a day. The key is to eat healthy and exercise. When losing weight through dieting alone, that weight you lose will be predominately muscle. When you add exercise to your weight loss program, you lose more fat and gain muscle.

3. Missing strength and balance training

Adding strength and balance training to your routine reduces overuse of certain muscles; this, in turn, makes you less prone to injuries. Staying injury free is key to success in any health and fitness program.

4. Unrealistic goals

The worst thing you can do is set yourself up for failure. Make sure your goals respect your health history and are in line with your age, lifestyle and genetics. Sounds like simple common sense, but most people set the bar too high for themselves.

5. Exercising simply to lose weight

The best objective is to live better overall. Weight-loss can be part of your goal, but also aim for more energy, better sleep, improve your bone density, improve your mood, and increase your strength. Basically, look at the big picture.

6. Taking the rest of the day off

Working out alone does not mean good health and fitness. It is important to be active for the rest of the day too. You have heard take the stairs – well, as Nike says “just do it” – get moving. Don’t park close to the building, walk a bit. Don’t sit at your desk all day, get up and move around. It is more about a lifestyle change then your waist- line.

Don’t make these mistakes, ensure success and take charge of your overall health and fitness. Pay attention to your body and your personal needs and ask your doctor if you think you need help to achieve your goals. After all, you don’t have to be a trained Olympian, just your overall best! Good luck.

Source: The Globe and Mail