1. Don't: Sacrifice good form for speed
Do: Slow down and stand tall
The results: Burn 50 extra calories per session
It is important to focus on your form, even if that means lowering the intensity. Also, study shows that good posture allows you to take in more oxygen so your workout feels easier, even while you're blasting more calories.
2. Don't: Exercise while parched
Do: Sip 15 ounces of water two hours before working out
The results: More energy to lift weights and firm up faster
On workout days, drink an ounce of water for every 10 pounds of body weight (i.e., 15 ounces if you weigh 150) one to two hours prior to exercise. Then keep sipping during and after your session to replenish what you lose through sweat.
3. Don't: Read a novel on the treadmill
Do: Listen to music
The results: Burn 15 percent more calories
Reading while exercising is so distracting that you're probably working at an intensity too low to burn a significant number of calories.
4. Don't: Run if you hate it
Do: Pick a cardio routine that's fun
The results: Lose 4 pounds a year
No matter how many calories an activity promises to burn, if you don't enjoy it, you'll be less likely to do it and won't reap the benefits. Think of it this way: If you burn 300 calories every time you exercise, but you dread it so much that you skip one session a week, it adds up to 1,200 calories a month—or more than 4 pounds a year. Instead, find a workout you want to do, rather than one you feel like you have to do.
5. Don't: Put all your time into cardio
Do: Swap aerobic exercise for weights three times a week
The results: Lose up to 12.5 pounds in a year
6. Don't: Trust gym-machine calorie-burn estimates
Do: Track your burn with a heart rate monitor
The results: Lose 3 pounds this year
Do: Slow down and stand tall
The results: Burn 50 extra calories per session
It is important to focus on your form, even if that means lowering the intensity. Also, study shows that good posture allows you to take in more oxygen so your workout feels easier, even while you're blasting more calories.
2. Don't: Exercise while parched
Do: Sip 15 ounces of water two hours before working out
The results: More energy to lift weights and firm up faster
On workout days, drink an ounce of water for every 10 pounds of body weight (i.e., 15 ounces if you weigh 150) one to two hours prior to exercise. Then keep sipping during and after your session to replenish what you lose through sweat.
3. Don't: Read a novel on the treadmill
Do: Listen to music
The results: Burn 15 percent more calories
Reading while exercising is so distracting that you're probably working at an intensity too low to burn a significant number of calories.
4. Don't: Run if you hate it
Do: Pick a cardio routine that's fun
The results: Lose 4 pounds a year
No matter how many calories an activity promises to burn, if you don't enjoy it, you'll be less likely to do it and won't reap the benefits. Think of it this way: If you burn 300 calories every time you exercise, but you dread it so much that you skip one session a week, it adds up to 1,200 calories a month—or more than 4 pounds a year. Instead, find a workout you want to do, rather than one you feel like you have to do.
5. Don't: Put all your time into cardio
Do: Swap aerobic exercise for weights three times a week
The results: Lose up to 12.5 pounds in a year
6. Don't: Trust gym-machine calorie-burn estimates
Do: Track your burn with a heart rate monitor
The results: Lose 3 pounds this year
