THROUGHOUT THE year, I get lots of mail from Daily News readers wanting answers to fitness questions. The good news is many of you are exercising. The bad news is many of you are getting poor results, using bad form or experiencing setbacks due to minor or chronic injuries.
Here are 10 of the most common exercise errors and the error-proof solutions to get you in tip-top shape going into 2007.
1. You try to spot-reduce.
You've been doing 2,000 crunches every day and yet that six-pack still eludes you? Once and for all, working a specific body part to reduce fat in that area does not work. To lose fat you must eat less, do cardio to burn the fat and strength-training to tone and shape.
2. You skip strength training. Women especially fall into the trap of only doing cardio and dieting to slim down. This is a huge mistake, with results that are often less than desirable. Strength training is a must if you want a tight, toned body.
3. You skip stretching. Another no-no. People who neglect stretching often have lower back pain or tight hamstrings, which could increase chance of an injury.
At a minimum, be sure to stretch five minutes after you warm up for either a cardio or strength-training session. You could also stretch each muscle group when strength training. A few sessions of yoga every week would be better yet.
4. You exercise but neglect your diet. Many of you complain that you exercise all the time but can't seem to shake those excess pounds. The likely reason those extra pounds are hanging on is that you are still unconsciously overeating.
If your goal is weight loss, proper nutrition is a must. This is equally true for those aspiring to put on some muscle. Good nutrition gets you noticed.
5. You exercise in poor form. Every day, I see people in the gym not only exercising improperly but with poor posture as well. It is essential that you exercise in proper posture and form. Often, that involves using appropriate weights that are neither too light nor too heavy.
For example, avoid using your hips, bending backward and using momentum while doing bicep curls. Here's how to do it right:
• When doing standing bicep curls, stand with knees slightly bent in a neutral spine, with abdominal muscles contracted.
• With the dumbbells at your sides and keeping elbows in, slowly curl the weights up until your forearms kiss your biceps. Slowly lower arms to the starting position and repeat.
6. You do the same old, same old. Many people get stuck in a workout rut and stop getting results. If you never change the duration, intensity, sets, reps, weight or exercises, then you will surely hit a plateau.
Your body has no reason to change if you don't. If you've been running the same 5 miles on the treadmill for the past five months or five years, why not try sprucing up your routine by doing wind sprints instead?
7. You diet without exercising. Dieting without exercise is a recipe for disaster. Experts agree that achieving permanent weight loss requires a lifetime commitment to both diet and exercise.
8. You show off and lift too much. Men are generally guilty of this one. Many men ambitiously or foolishly lift too much weight, leading to injuries.
9. You ignore injuries and pain. This is another mistake men are generally more prone to make, but some women also do this.
If you have any pain, particularly joint pain, see a doctor right away. Sure, it might be nothing, but why chance it? A proper diagnosis now may prevent a future knee replacement.
10. You only do one kind of exercise. Many of you have unbalanced fitness routines and, therefore, unbalanced bodies.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to spend endless hours exercising in order to have a balanced routine. What you need to do is come up with a plan that includes resistance training, cardio, stretching and proper nutrition. *