11 Post-Workout Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Fitness Goals

Everyone works out for a reason. Some do it to lead a healthy life while others to maintain a good physique. Irrespective of the goals, most of you may have adopted different approaches to achieve them.

I applaud people who sincerely follow a workout regime because it demands focus and dedication to overcome laziness and procrastination. But how frustrating would it be when you find all your efforts have gone in vain? You would be pretty bumped, right?

There are a couple of things you are probably doing wrong, which can seriously undermine all your hard work and efforts. Being aware of the post-workout mistakes can help you make your workout efforts productive and purposeful.

Here are a few common post-workout mistakes that sabotage your hard efforts.

11 Post-Workout Mistakes You Must Correct Right Away

1. Relying on a sports drink:

Most of us reach for a sports drink right after our workout session. That’s wrong. Yes, it’s crucial to keep yourself hydrated post-workout, but a sports drink is not mandatory. The American College of Sports Medicine suggests the following:

• 16 to 20 ounces of water 2 hours before the workout session
• 8 to 12 ounces 10 minutes before exercise
• Sip water every 15 to 20 minutes during the session

Most experts suggest hydration through water if an individual didn’t follow an intense workout routine over an hour or so. Only when your session is long and intense, grab a sports drink to restore electrolytes.

2. Heading straight to the shower:

During exercise, your temperature increases and blood vessels widen. Give your body sufficient time to gain back normalcy. If you don’t give your body the time to recover, you will feel lightheaded. In case you are unsure, use a fitness tracker to ensure your heartbeat is below 100 before you head to the shower.

3. Poor sleep routine:

Sleep deprivation can cause a barrier between you and your workout goals. Did you know muscle growth happens when you give your body sufficient rest after working out? A report revealed that sleep deprivation prevents individuals from sharing their maximum effort, which means the shorter you sleep, the lower your workout capacity.

Insufficient rest restricts your body from gaining optimum muscle protein synthesis (MPS) benefits after an intense workout session. MPS last for 24 to 48 hours for most individuals, which means you should leave out at least 36 to 48 hours between workouts for your body repair the microtears caused due to stretching your body.

4. Overtraining:

Excessive training is as bad as undertraining, if not worse. Sure, you want to give your best and hit your fitness goals. But intense training for extended hours won’t give your body sufficient time to recover and increase the possibility of injuries.

Not just that! Overtraining reduces motivation, increases mood swings, leads to fatigue and soreness, and decreases your performance level. Understand your body limits to avoid physical harm. Let your body adapt to the changes.

It’s always better to go slow and gradually pick up the pace than trying everything haphazardly and ending up with injuries. Thus, if you want to achieve 100% of your potential and hit your fitness goal, take a professional’s help or follow the chart prepared by your instructor.

5. Insufficient stretching:

Let’s be honest here; many of us skip stretching right after the session, which is just wrong. Experts believe stretching after a tiring workout session can prove to be beneficial when it’s about improving flexibility.

Stretching after exercising can build a better range of motion in your joints, reducing your chances of injuries. Static stretches are a great cool-down exercise routine as it helps minimise muscle stiffness and reduce stress. Hence, no more skipping stretches post-workout sessions.

6. Avoiding food post-workout:

I have lost count of the people telling me not to eat after exercising. Waiting for hours to eat again will cause you more harm than you realise. When your body goes through rigorous training, you must give it sufficient food to gather energy to recover your muscles.

Refuelling with a meal containing protein and carbohydrates can replenish and repair tears in your worn-out muscles. Insufficient intake of protein will damage your lean muscles and reduce muscle strength.

Take care of your protein intake. For instance, if you weigh 60kg, your per-day protein intake should be 60g. Also, drink water in small quantities after exercising. If you can, add mint and lemon juice in your drinking water for added benefits.

7. Gorging on highly processed food:

Did you know that 60% of the food purchased in America is highly processed? It can lead to profound health implications for trainers and bodybuilders. Nutrients play a crucial role in muscle building, especially in increasing glycogen production in muscles.

A supplement protein shake can help you maximise nutrient intake and boost energy. However, many rely on protein bars to refuel after a workout session. Most of these protein bars are high on sugar or sugar alcohol. Although sugar alcohol doesn’t have any calories, it can leave you feeling bloated and extremely uncomfortable.

8. Rewarding yourself with food:

After a vigorous workout session at the gym, you might want to enjoy a quick bite of your favourite pizza thinking ‘you’ve earned it.’

Sorry. This simple temptation is another reason why you are not shedding enough pounds. You are likely to gain a double or triple number of calories you burned off by giving in to the temptation of eating one slice of pizza.

I am not saying you shouldn’t reward yourself for your hardwork. You certainly should – minus the food. Look for no-calorie alternative treats like a bubble bath or a manicure to boost your morale to work harder.

9. Inability to part with alcohol:

While a drink can relax your nerves after a tiring day, regular alcohol consumption can lead to numerous health complications, including gaining a couple of extra pounds.

Alcohol comes with high calories and zero nutritional value. It tends to dehydrate a body , grade my paper and induce stress. Furthermore, it decreases testosterone levels and increases the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol reduces muscle-building efforts and increases muscle damage.

If alcohol consumption is part of your everyday lifestyle, you must start limiting your consumption right away.

10. Indulging in social comparison:

Be it in professional or personal life, most of us compare ourselves to others. It’s healthy when a comparison is for motivational purpose. Outside that, it induces unnecessary pressure and hampers performance.

In this digitally active age, when everyone is flaunting images of their perfectly toned figure on social media, it is easy to get disappointed and lose focus. Self-doubt creeps in, and you start comparing your journey with others.

Avoid doing that. Rather than comparing yourself to others, look at your fitness journey and pat yourself for making it this far. Stay focused and give your best efforts to achieve your fitness goals.

11. Following a stressful lifestyle:

Stress and anxiety are two common human emotions. Achieving your workout target will get all the more difficult if you lead a high-stress lifestyle.

Why?

Simple – you focus your energy on managing stress rather than using it to recover your damaged muscles.

When you are stressed, your body releases cortisol which promotes fat storage. Excessive stress reduces a body’s ability to quickly recover and increases muscle tension, architecture dissertation topics leading to lower focus and muscle spasm.

If you want to reduce fat storage and risks of muscle injuries, find ways to destress. Try various stress management techniques like meditation or yoga to bring down your stress level and boosting your inner peace.

Endnote,

Attaining fitness goals requires not only hardwork and dedication but also precision. Each of these above-discussed mistakes can ruin your chances of achieving your goal. So, be focused and correct these mistakes at the earliest for a positive health impact.

Author Bio

Peter Clarke  is a digital marketer and also a part-time blogger. he is also passionate about teaching and is a top-ranked essay writer at MyAssignmenthelp.com, a popular website for academic services and educational tools such as an essay rewriter tool and a plagiarism checker online. Peter loves to blog about fashion, lifestyle, health and travelling