Five Common Mistakes to Avoid In Your Fitness Program

Here five mistakes to avoid when starting or maintaining your fitness program.

1. Not warming up. Your muscles need time to adjust to the demands exercise places on them. Rather than hitting the treadmill running, for example, take a few minutes to walk, build up to a light jog, and then hit your stride.

2. Not cooling down after your workout. Too many people wrap up their workouts and head straight to the showers or to their car for the drive home. Instead, take a few minutes to lower your heart rate and stretch your muscles.

3. Not stretching enough. The best time to stretch is immediately before and after your workout. Pre-exercise stretching: take a few minutes to warm up first; not stretching properly can cause injury. Warmed up muscles are far less likely to be strained or pulled than tight ones. Make sure to stretch all of your major muscle groups, after your cool down.

4. Lifting too much weight. Lifting more weight than your muscles can handle is the best way to guarantee an injury. Being patient is a far more effective - and safe - way to increase muscle strength. Take your time when lifting weights. When it comes to strength, in general, the slower you go the more benefit you get.

5. Exercising too intensely. This is common with the "weekend warrior", the individual who tries to fit a week's worth of exercise into a Saturday afternoon. It's more effective to sustain a moderate workout schedule (a 45 minute workout, three times per week) than to exercise intensely for only one day for three hours.

At times, people choose a fitness program because it's the latest trend or "in" thing to do. Choose fitness program you enjoy, a program you are passionate about. Always remember to keep your workout fun, and you are more likely to stay with it.