10 Bad Workout Habits You Need to Drop Right Now!

#1 Taking a hot shower after workout.

A hot shower may make you feel better, but in the long run, it's better if you switch to a cold bath after your workout sessions.

This is because immersing yourself in cold water is known to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness and help you recover faster from your grueling routine. Plus, it makes you more immune to diseases and trauma over time and speeds up the conversion of white/bad fat to brown/good fat.

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#2 Not warming up before your routine.

Most of us are quite sedentary in life. That is, we are bound to our desks and have little to no rigorous energy expenditure during the day.

If that applies to you too, then you should skip stretching before your workout routine and instead switch to a good 5-minutes warm-up session. The purpose of this is to get your blood pumping through your muscles and prime them for the subsequent cardio or weight training session, which reduces the risk of injury during workout.

#3 Doing the same routine every day.

Let's face it. Doing the same exercise routine every day is the fastest way of hitting a plateau.

Did I just hear you ask what a plateau is? Well, in the simplest terms, our bodies are very good at adapting to stress. That's why if you start taking the stairs to work, you will stop feeling the burn after a few days. And that is bad because once you hit a plateau your body essentially stops burning fats (and growing muscles), which completely stops your progress when it comes to losing weight.

That's why it is very important to keep switching your workout routine every few days and keep increasing the intensity of your reps so your body never hits a plateau and keeps burning all those excess fats away!

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#4 You only stretch your muscles for 10 seconds after your workout.

Working out builds up a lot of lactic acid in your muscles and also inflicts microtrauma on them. That's why you feel sore during the first few days of working out.

Stretching your muscles after a workout counters this. But if you only stretch each muscle group for just 10 seconds, then you will fail to reap the benefits of stretching.

Here's a better alternative: Stretch each muscle for at least 30 seconds to 1 minute to really get the blood flowing through these areas and help your muscles drain out the lactic acid and start repairing themselves.

#5 Not cooling down after a workout.

There is a reason why athletes who sprint or do intensive exercises in bursts of few minutes lie down flat on their back and rest for a minute between their sessions. It's because cooling down allows your body to wind down and repair itself, which reduces your risk of injury or falling sick.

So remember this and make sure you cool down for at least 10 minutes after your workout session is over.

#6 Only doing cardio and never lifting any weights.

Cardio exercises keep your heart healthy. But if you don't lift weights, you will not truly see much difference in your weight even after regular workouts.

This is because weight training grows the muscles in your body, which ups your metabolism and keeps those fats burning through the day.

And don't worry if you are a woman, lifting weight will not bulk you up because women produce only a fraction of testosterone compared to men, and therefore, cannot bulk up because testosterone is essential for packing on those muscle groups.

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#7 Not changing your running shoes after every 1000km.

A good pair of running shoes can be the difference between severe muscle injury and a smooth workout session. This is because good sports shoes have excellent shock-absorption capabilities, which reduces the tension and stress on your leg muscles, bones, and joints.

But even good shoes wear out after a while. Especially the treads of their soles, which are responsible for maintaining the friction between your feet and the floor so you don't slip up and injure yourself.

That's why it's recommended that you switch your running shoes after every 1000km of running, which is roughly once every 1.5 years if you run 3kms a day or less, or 1 year if you run more.

#8 Not having any fun elements or incentives in your workout routine.

Working out is not a chore. But if you make it one, you will always hate to get out of bed in the morning for gym.

That's why it's essential to have some fun elements in your workout routine. Like exercises that you love doing (even if they are not very intensive), or setting yourself incentives for finishing your workout goals.

Just remember that the incentives you set yourself should work in tandem with your workout goals and not against it. That means setting yourself the incentive of going on a date or buying a gadget is good while eating a large slice of chocolate cake is not.

#9 Not having enough vitamin D in your body.

Vitamin D is important for your bones because without it your body fails to absorb the calcium in your diet. So if you have been feeling weak or experiencing tingling sensations in your hands and feet, you should immediately get your blood tested for deficiencies, especially that of vitamin D.

Just remember: Only farmers get enough vitamin D from the sun, so if you are low on your levels, make sure you get yourself a prescription for vitamin D pills at the doctor's office. And remember, not to overdo the course as that can lead to hypervitaminosis.

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#10 Wearing wrong workout clothes and using bad gear.

As mentioned in point #7, a good pair of workout shoes can be the difference between staying fit and injuring yourself. And that includes a good set of workout clothes before you hit the gym.

That means tight clothes, non-sweat-wicking apparel, non-supportive or too-tight sports bras, and uncomfortable and non-stretchy clothes are all out.

Remember: When it comes to working out, comfort is always a priority over esthetics.

Plus, make sure you don't repeat your sweaty clothes without washing them as that brings on a host of fungal infections and other diseases (including acne).