Hello! Welcome to 2009! Remember, this is the year to make whatever it is happen. This is the day... Hope you all had a good weekend. Leah and I had a nice, relaxing weekend in Iowa with our family there, finishing up the Christmas celebrations. Below is our first tip of 2009 to you all - - 10 Biggest Workout Mistakes: 1. Not warming up. Start slowly and increase intensity gradually. 2. Exercising too intensely. A longer, moderate workout is more effective than a short, intense one. 3. Not exercising intensely enough. On the other hand, you need to workout hard enough to break a light sweat and get your heart rate into your training zone. 4. Leaning heavily on the stair stepper rails. Supporting a lot of your weight on your arms is hard on your wrists and back. Lower the intensity to the point at which you can maintain good posture while using the rails only for balance. 5. Not cooling down after any type of workout. Taking a few minutes to lower your heart rate reestablishes normal blood flow. 6. Not stretching. You should stretch immediately after an aerobic activity, when your muscles are still warm and flexible. 7. Lifting too much weight. Increasing resistance steadily but gradually is the safest and most effective way to increase muscle strength. 8. Jerking the weights. You're likely jerking your muscles as well and risking injury (your back is particularly vulnerable). Control the weight - don't let it control you. 9. Not drinking enough. Keep a water bottle handy throughout your entire workout. 10. Consuming high-energy bars and sports drinks during moderate workouts. Unless you're working out for longer than two hours a day, you don't need them. (High-energy is often code for high calorie.) Now that my friends is your TIP of the WEEK... Hope to see you all at the gym! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Stephen & Leah Menya www.lionsgym.com 952-474-7000 Download this as a file