There are some do's and don'ts for exercising. It's important to do things the right way to avoid injury.
Here are some things you want to remember:
Stretching before working out
Static, long stretches before working out is not a good thing. Experts say do what's called dynamic stretching—gentle movements, slow controlled stretching with your arms and legs to start your workout.
Lifting weights
If you're lifting weights, barbells or dumbbell; one common mistake is to compensate for something being too heavy, by lifting more quickly.
Experts say never do that because it puts too much stress on the joints. Use smaller weights and do slower repetitions. A good rule of thumb: two seconds to raise and four seconds to lower. Or you risk getting injured.
Importance of cooling down
And always cool down. Experts say this is more important than warming up to prevent injury and more importantly protect the heart.
"I'm going to jog more slowly, then I'm going to walk for a couple minutes, so I can get back to my normal resting heart rate " says Wayne Westcott, PhD; strength training consultant.
Experts say finish up the walk or lift less weights and then stretch. There is much more on this and other exercise mistakes and ways to fix them included here.
