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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : February 4, 2020 9:04 AM IST
But to reap the benefits of exercise, it's important that you do it in a right way. © Shutterstock
Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do to stay fir and prevent health problems. Among many other health benefits, workout helps strengthen your muscles and bones, improves cardiovascular health, reduces stress, boosts memory and promotes better sleep. But to reap all these benefits, it's important that you do it in a right way. Many people, especially the beginners, make a lot of counterproductive workout mistakes. In this series of our today health tips, we will highlight the most common workout mistakes and share experts' tips on how to fix them:
Warming up before exercise is a must. It readies your muscles, heart and lungs for physical activity ahead. Warming up before exercise also lowers your risk of injuries.
To achieve the best results, it is important to create a proper fitness routine and stick with it. Fitness experts say consistency yields the best results. But often people jump from one workout to another, which may sabotage their fitness goals. In addition to being consistent with your workout routine, you also must choose the right technique that's suitable for your current fitness level.
Over time, your body will adapt to exercise stress and you may not see progress if you keep doing the same movements every day. Also, repetitive stress can lead to overuse injuries. In order to optimize your performance, you need to consistently challenge your ability within the same routine. You should up the ante a bit every two weeks, say experts. You may try running a bit faster or increase the treadmill inclination.
Dehydration can decrease your performance. Your core temperature rises when you exercise, putting more stress on your body. During workout, you also lose a lot of water through sweat. Drinking fluids reduces that stress, as well as helps lubricate your joints and reduce inflammation. So, staying hydrated is essential when you're working out. But how much water you should drink before, during and after exercise? It depends on your age, gender, height, weight, exercise intensity, and how long you exercise.
General guidelines say - 17 to 20 ounces of water 2 to 3 hours before exercising; 8 ounces during your warm-up (or 20 to 30 minutes before exercising); 7 to 10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise; and 8 ounces of water within 30 minutes after exercising.
