Common mistakes in fitness programs

Some people make common mistakes when they increase their activity levels. The following tips can help you avoid common mistakes.

• Find out which activities you like before you purchase a lot of fitness gear. You will be more likely to make wise purchases after you have learned which activities you enjoy.
• Plan to be active at least 3 times per week. Try not to limit your activity to weekends only. If you have been inactive for a while, you may increase your risk of problems by trying to fit all your exercise into 1 or 2 days a week. Experts advise doing moderate activity for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week or more, or doing vigorous activity for at least 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week or more.¹ Being active in several chunks of 10 minutes or more throughout the day can count towards these recommendations. You can choose to do one or both types of activity.
• Increase your efforts gradually. Do not take on too much too soon. Start with small efforts that you will stay with, then increase your level of activity gradually.
• Replace fluid you are losing through sweat during exercise. Drink plenty of water before and after you start exercising.
• Don't weigh yourself daily. Instead of weighing every day, rely on how you feel and how your clothes fit. It's a good idea to weigh yourself regularly to help control your weight. But you only need to weigh yourself about once a week, unless directed by your health professional to weigh yourself more often because of a health problem.
• Realize that weight loss is not the best measure of progress with a fitness program. Muscle weighs more than fat. If you lose fat and gain muscle, you will probably look better, but it may not show up on the scale. You do not need to lose weight to get the health benefits of fitness.

Citations

1. Haskell WL, et al. (2007). Physical activity and public health: Updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Circulation, 116(9): 1081–1093.