8 Most Common Pre and Post Workout Mistakes

For people who are inexperienced with exercise or having a routine physical activity every week, will make a lot of mistakes before and after their workouts that can make their training counterproductive as well as not making the most of it.

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Knowing what to do and taking care of yourself before and after workouts is almost as important as the workout itself. With that being said, let’s go through the importance of pre and post-workout habits and the most common mistakes people make.

The Benefits of Having a Pre and Post Workout Plan

Planning and preparing a goof pre and post-workout routine will ensure that you have a solid workout and get the best results possible. Other benefits of getting your pre and post-workout routines down pat include:

Injury prevention
Optimal muscle gains and fat loss
Better overall health and lifestyle
Less stress before and after gym
Encourages you to be more disciplined
Allows you to have a safer, more intense and effective workout

The Most Common Pre and Post Workout Mistakes

1. Not stretching

Not stretching before and after workouts can make the difference between a good workout and a bad one. Stretching out before a workout helps to loosen tight joints and muscles as well as helping you feel more flexible and durable for your workout.

Stretching as a post-workout routine will also help your body calm down and settle after an intense workout. Especially if you’re lifting weights, stretching helps the muscle to recover as well as relax after being stretched and pulled from a workout.

2. Not planning workouts

Not planning your workouts is a mistake even experienced trainers still make. By not preparing what your workout is going to consist of, you won’t be able to make it efficient and effective, nor will you be able to visualize your goals.

Before you work out, have a plan of what you want to do. This also forces you to do the exercises or at intensity; you usually won’t want to do.

3. Overdoing cardio

A lot of people spend lots of time doing cardio before workouts. Though they think that it may warm up their body for a workout, doing excessive cardio can drain you and make you tired and weak before your actual workout begins.

Doing excessive cardio after a long workout can also drain you and open up the possibility of injury. Do enough cardio to warm you up and cool you down, just not to the point you feel burnt out or weak.

4. Eating too little

A lot of people have the misconception that training on an empty stomach will help to maximize performance and prevent sluggishness. And though that may be true to some extent, if you eat too little before workouts, you will feel weak and tired. Eating too little after workouts to minimize calorie intake can negatively affect your recovery.

5. Overeating

Just like eating too little, overeating can affect your workout performance and results. Overeating before workouts can make you feel sick or sluggish. Overeating after workouts because you feel like you’ve deserved it can also be counter-effective. The key is to eat balanced portions and within the calorie amounts best served for your goals.

6. Eating at the wrong time

Eating too soon before workouts or just after workouts can never be good. Not only does your body, not enough time to digest food, but it can make your body feel sluggish. The key is to allow your stomach to digest foods well before and after workouts.

7. Using the wrong supplements

Just because others may be using certain supplements, doesn’t mean that you should use them too. When taking supplements, the first thing you should ask yourself is what is it exactly doing to your health and do they fit in with your goals.

Most people who lack experience and knowledge with training and dieting will probably buy supplements that have no effect or are simply unnecessary towards their goals.

8. Not getting enough rest

Rest and recovery is just as important as dieting and the workout itself. Giving your body time to rest and heal benefits your physical and mental health. This is important in optimizing your performance and results.

Be sure to have enough rest before workouts so you can conserve your energy for performance and to rest well after workouts so you can recover after hard physical activity.

Build Your Knowledge

Even though workouts are a physical activity that can range from easy to complex movements, build your knowledge and understanding first. Identify what your goals are and how you are setting yourself up to achieve them. Results aren’t just created from exercise.

They’re created in the kitchen and your everyday life. Build up your understanding of the dos and don’ts of pre and post-workout routines. If you are an inexperienced trainer, speak with a personal trainer or even your doctor on how you can get started and effectively get the results you want.

Head over to the Okadoc app to immediately book an appointment with your health practitioner.