No matter your age, the goal is to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. This means sticking to a few crucial habits: eating a diet packed with vegetables and lean protein, doing strength training, and engaging in weekly cardio sessions. Although many people try to stay committed to their healthy habits, it’s not uncommon for them to pick up some unhealthy ones along the way. Today we are going to talk about bad fitness habits they are rapidly aging your body so you can get rid of them as soon as possible. Read on to find out if you’re making any of these mistakes.
Getting older comes with the loss of lean muscle mass, also known as sarcopenia. After you hit 30, you can lose up to 3% to 5% of muscle mass every 10 years. This results in decreased mobility and increased weakness. That’s why it’s so important to strength train and make sure you’re eating enough protein in your diet.
Of course, when leading an active life, there is a right way to do it. Be sure to avoid these bad fitness habits that are rapidly aging your body.
Related: Trainer Reveals The Best Fitness Habits That Slow Aging
pre-workouts they are in fashion right now. Many fitness enthusiasts love incorporating them as part of their routine so they can train harder and get the most out of every exercise session. Some use them as a pick-me-up if they don’t feel energized and need an extra push to get into training mode.
In accordance with health line. Additionally, pre-workout could upset your stomach, increase water retention, and even result in weight gain (if creatine is part of the particular formula).
It’s easy to become dependent on these supplements, but for the sake of your health and solid exercise, I recommend using them as a last resort. Limit yourself to one or two cups of coffee instead.
Related: The #1 Strength Training for Regaining Muscle Mass as You Age, Says One Trainer
Although you want to progress in your workouts, some people go overboard. This is typically in the form of performing too much volume (sets and reps). It’s easy to think that if you’re doing something good for yourself, it’s probably worth overdoing it. However, there is not much work you can do before it has a negative impact on your body. The term for this is known as “junk volume,” where you’re simply stacking fatigue with no added benefits.
Remember that training is also a stressor for the body. If you are using too much volume without taking enough time to recover, this can increase your cortisol levels. Your energy in the next few days will suffer. Needless to say, it’s not worth having a brutal workout followed by a few where your performance isn’t the best. Instead, do 2-3 sets of work on one exercise, then move on to the next.
Just like overdoing your training volume is a big no-no, another bad fitness habit that is rapidly aging your body is skipping rest days, which can cause burnout. If you’re training hard, then you need to set aside a day to focus on active recovery: low-intensity cardio, stretching, and stress management. In order to progress and build muscle, you must let your body rest and recover. After all, that’s when growth happens.
Dedicate one or two days a week to rest days, focusing on other low-intensity activities. If you’ve been pushing your body through a hard training program, consider taking a dump week, where you reduce both the volume and intensity of your workouts.
Tim Liu, CSCS
Tim Liu, CSCS, is an online fitness and nutrition coach based in Los Angeles. Read more about Tim
