5 Common Exercise Mistakes

1. Stretching BEFORE workouts

Contrary to popular belief, stretching before exercise is more detrimental than beneficial. The tendons that attach your muscle to bone need a longer time than muscle tissue to warm up. Stretching these cold tendons places them at higher risk for microtears that are difficult to heal. In addition, stretching before exercise neurologically inhibits muscle fiber, leading to a 10-30% reduction in muscle strength endurance. A better solution is a longer, more controlled warm-up to prepare your muscles for vigorous exercise.

2. Performing repetitions too quickly

Any experienced weight lifter knows that performing repetitions quickly will allow them to lift more weight for a higher number of reps. However, these quick repetitions put the joints of the body under significant stress that can lead to serious injury. Also, performing repetitions too quickly leads to improper form, another cause for exercise-induced injuries.

3. Lifting too much weight

Attempting to lift too much weight is the #1 cause for injuries at the gym.  The joints, muscles and tendons can only handle a certain amount of weight when properly warmed-up.  Placing the body under too much stress can lead to significant tears to tendons and muscle fibers, especially in the shoulder region where the rotator cuff is vulnerable to injury.  In general, a person should avoid lifting more than 70-80% of their 1-rep maximum.

4. Exercising with pain

Many people get into the groove during exercise and forget about some key principles for safe and effective workouts. Exercising when you have pain is one of them, and it's the fastest way to develop a serious or persistent injury. Minor aches and pains can easily become chronic overuse injuries that plague us for years. If you feel pain during exercise, stop and look for the cause of the pain. Sometimes all you need to do is make some minor adjustments to your equipment or body position to eliminate pain. If the pain persists, consult a physician.

5. Neglecting the cool-down

The cool-down period is even more important than the warm-up period.  The cool-down is important not only for injury prevention, but also to protect the heart. The elevation in heart rate that occurs during exercise continues for several minutes after you stop. A larger-than-usual volume of blood is being pumped from the heart throughout the body. Without continued muscle activity to help pump it back into circulation, the blood tends to pool in the legs and feet. The heart has to work harder to restore normal circulation, which can trigger high blood pressure