Exercise with caution

The talk nowadays among people of all ages is exercise and keeping fit. People have now included in their talks experiences at various gyms as they share views and opinions on which is the best club in town, why it is the best and their rates.

They have become more pliable where experimenting with gyms is concerned and many enjoy being identified with certain health clubs in town.

However, even with all this exercise craze, many people still make many common mistakes that make all the difference between health and disaster. Some of these common mistakes include:

Exercising too much too soon.
Having psyched yourself to start exercising and determined to lose so much weight as soon as possible, one is prone to heavily working out every day, not realising that they are leaving their bodies prone to injury.

The best keep fit regime to follow is taking off a minimum of two days from the rigid exercises to allow the body to rest.

Do not do tough and strenuous exercises two or three days in a row. Alternate a tough day with a less strenous work-out.

If you are about to begin a fitness regime, begin with gentle, effective activities such as swimming and walking.

Do not allow other experienced people to intimidate you. Work out your own schedule and identify your maximum level. Do not overwork yourself at the expense of your health.

Not warming up
It is crucial that before any work-out, you must first warm your body up. Stretch the muscles for approximately five minutes. The same applies when the work out is over. You need to cool your body and another five-minute stretch exercise would be ideal.

Once you get used to the exercise, do not throw caution to the winds and become careless.

Wrong postures
Exercising in the wrong positions and postures may do more damage to your body. Stand tall for upright moves, keeping your back straight the tummy firmly tucked in. Always use slow, controlled movements.

Forgetting to hydrate
As you work out, your body will sweat extensively. You must remember to replenish the lost fluids at all times.

Take a glass of water before you commence your fitness regime, small sips during the work out and more glasses of water after the exercise.

Do not forget to eat, even as you are trying to lose as much weight as possible.

Lifting weights
Do not be tempted to lift heavy weights hoping that you will build muscle this way. You may end up gravely injuring yourself. Instead, start off by lifting light weights and once the body is used to this, slowly progress upwards.

This article was first published in Daily Nation