12 Worst Cardio Mistakes to Follow for Weight Loss

Get fit in less time by avoiding these pitfalls!
Just because you're hitting SoulCycle every day, it doesn't mean you're guaranteed to lose weight. In fact, variety may be just what your routine is lacking—along with clearer concentration, a better plan, a shoe upgrade, and smart pre-workout eating habits. With the body bulk (and not the good kind…) that tends to come with the holiday season, now is the time to make a good plan of attack against fat. That's why we reached out for advice and help from the fitness pros for an outline of common cardio mistakes that might be stalling your progress.

1

Doing Too Much Steady State Cardio

While there are days when it's OK to partake in less intense cardio—like when you're super sore from a workout you conquered the day before—consistent days of steady state cardio in which you don't challenge your cardiovascular fitness will likely not produce desired results, says celebrity trainer and founder of the Stoked Method, Kira Stokes. "Get creative," she says. "For example, try jumping off a cardio machine every few minutes to work in intervals of jumping rope to bring your heart-rate up to 80 percent of you max. This will give you a major energy boost, enable you to reduce the length of time you need to dedicate to cardio and make you and your body more efficient."

2

Not Eating Before Intense Cardio

"People often feel it's best to do cardio on an empty stomach. However, this may cause you to lack the energy necessary to challenge your body properly," says Stokes. That doesn't mean pre-workout is the time to schedule your steak and eggs, though. Stokes suggest having a small snack that won't weigh you down but rather boost your energy—like an protein bar or a banana. "These will benefit you and your cardio session immensely. Play around with different foods to see how your body responds best."

3

Not Being Focused

Stokes, like many top trainers, has a major pet peeve—and that's people not being focused when they're working out. "Reading, checking email, tapping into social platforms, taking gym selfies, and so on can truly hinder your cardio sessions," says Stokes. "Essentially, if you can read while getting your sweat on, you're probably not working hard enough." Even when challenging your body in a cardiovascular way, Stokes recommends performing what she calls body checks: a method where you ask yourself questions like, "Am I working hard enough?" and "Can I push just a little more?" "This will often prompt you to take your workout up a notch," she says. "Interrupting the flow of your workout by being consumed by your phone will ultimately have you spinning your wheels but not making the gains you are looking for."

4

Not Focusing on Intensity

"It's the intensity at which you workout that raises your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), not the type of exercise," says Edward Jackowski, Ph.D., and owner of EXUDE Fitness. Find a class or type of workout you like and push yourself to your max. Because even if you're doing something aerobic, your metabolism may be slowing down if you're not working hard enough.

5

Thinking More Cardio Means More Food

After completing that hour-long SoulCycle class, do not go straight for the doughnuts! "When you want to lose weight or get into better shape, your workload needs to exceed your calorie input," says modelFIT trainer Keely Ahrold. As long as your calorie intake is less than the amount of calories you burn, you will be in good shape. And that is very hard to do on a diet that's high in sugar and fat, no matter how much you workout. It's also important to note that most people greatly overestimate how many calories they burn when they're working out and that our bodies don't tend to perform optimally on a sugar-fat diet!

6

Being A Creature Of Habit

Gravitating toward the same form of cardio and working out at the same time of day can result in plateaus. Stokes suggests trying to find a good mix of what you love to do to challenge your heart and what you're struggling to like. "Odds are that the modality you're having a tough time embracing is the one you need to do most. Also, working out at the same time of day each day can lead to lackluster results. A couple times a week, go ahead and shock your body by hitting the gym, the road, or the pool at an unconventional time. Routine is the enemy for your body."

7

Wearing The Wrong Apparel/Sneakers

"Knowing if you pronate, supinate, or have a neutral gait is important when choosing the correct footwear to support you during your cardio session," says Stokes. This is especially important if you're doing intense exercise because you don't want to risk injuring yourself. As for clothing, Stokes encourages her clients to wear apparel that they can see their body in (think tank tops and fitted bottoms) as she has found this can be a great motivator by helping you see how far you've come (while also setting new goals, too).

8

Not Having A Plan

Always be prepared! When you don't have a game plan, you risk spending a chunk of your workout wandering from machine to machine. "It's always best to have a plan and a goal for each sweat session," says Stokes. "Take into account both the length of time you have to commit to cardio, then make a plan for how you can make every second count."

9

Feeling Like You Need to Do Cardio in the Morning

There's a myth out there that doing 20 minutes of cardio in the morning will jumpstart your metabolism throughout the day. "This is purely physiological," says Ahrold. "It's a great way to start your day the right way for sure. But if you did that same 20 min of cardio later in the day, you will still have only done 20 min of cardio that day. Your caloric output is about the same." So, don't drive yourself crazy trying to squeeze in cardio in the a.m. if you're not a morning person. In fact, like Stokes mentioned, switching things up is key.

10

Thinking You Hate Cardio

"It's important—especially if you're not a fan of cardio—to find a modality that resonates with you so you will commit to it," says Stokes. "I preach about finding a good mix of cardio workouts that are fun and those that are challenging. For example, if you're not in love with running but you see great results from it, plan a few runs during the week—but, in between, allow yourself some cardio dance, if that's your cardio 'fun.' Attitude is everything; if you have a positive attitude toward embarking on your sweat session and can take a moment to appreciate your ability to move and challenge your heart, you may actually start to crave cardio!"

11

Drinking Water to Sweat Off Water Weight

"Aside from being so blatantly false, you can cause your biological systems to go all out of whack," says Ahrold. "You will become dehydrated, increase blood pressure, and decrease cardiac output, which lowers the amount of oxygen getting to your muscles. Basically, your body—a highly efficient system—will become highly inefficient." Drink water as needed, plain and simple.

12

Choosing the Wrong Type Of Cardio For Your Body Type

Not all forms of cardio—even if performed at the same level of intensity—will yield the same results. How you move affects the aesthetic outcome. For example, if you're bottom-heavy and do a lot of spinning, you'll definitely burn calories but your legs and bottom half may get bigger. In this case, consider opting for body weight cardio that doesn't have a leg focus. "If you can't cut your addiction to your local spin class, however, but still want to lose weight and lean out your legs, keep the resistance light during spinning class and pedal faster,"

Thanks for Reading ........

How to Stay Active and Exercise During the Holidays

It's hard enough to exercise the rest of the year, but add holidays to the mix and many of us find exercise becomes less of a priority as to-do lists grow longer and longer.

The last thing you want is more stress and, for many of us, trying to keep to our usual workout program does just that. At the same time, staying active in some way will give you energy, reduce stress and tension and, of course, help mitigate some of the extra calories you may be eating.

So, how do you find that balance? These quick tips will help you plan ahead, prepare yourself for any eventuality and provide workouts to help you stay active this holiday season.

Plan Ahead

If you're traveling, planning ahead can make all the difference. Take some time to figure out what your options are so you're ready for anything. Just a few ideas:

Search for walking, running or park trails nearby
Look up information about the hotel you're staying at and find out if they have an exercise room
If you're staying with family, ask if they have any fitness equipment
If that's not an option, find any nearby gyms and ask if they let guests use their facility
Talk to your family in advance and suggest taking a walk or doing something active together
Plan simple workouts (see below) that don't require much space or equipment. If you're traveling or have visitors, you may be able to sneak in a workout in the basement without bothering anyone.

Get started

Try to plan your workout schedule beforehand. Even if you have to change it (which is likely when you're traveling), you've already made a commitment to exercise. It's easier to stick with it when you have it planned than to squeeze it in later.

Get Prepared

If you're not sure about your schedule or whether you'll even have time to get in a workout, plan for the worst-case scenario.

That may be staying in grandma's basement with no equipment and only 10 or 15 minutes to yourself. Try these quick tips for squeezing in a workout even when you only have minutes to spare:

Bring a workout plan with you. Plan a 10-minute routine you could do right in your bedroom. For example, you could choose 10 exercises and do each for 1 minute (squats, lunges, pushups, jumping jacks) or check out the holiday workouts below for other ideas.
Bring resistance bands. They travel well and you can use them for quick strength exercises whenever you catch a few minutes.
If you have a laptop, bring along a workout DVD or try streaming workouts online such as those offered by demandFitness.
If guests are staying with you, move your equipment (weights or bands) into your bedroom so you can sneak in some exercise at night or in the morning.
Wear your running or walking shoes as much as you can. You may find a 20-minute window when people are napping or before dinner for a quick walk or run.

You may even want to invite some family members for a walk.

Sometimes there are others who'd love to workout, but they're just waiting for someone else to step up first.

Use Every Opportunity

Planning and preparing are nice, but even the best-laid plans get derailed, especially during the holidays. If you find there's just no way to get in a workout, get creative and find ways to move your body any way you can:

Walk as much as possible. Take extra laps at the mall, use the stairs, volunteer to walk the dog.  If you're hanging out with kids, set up a game of football, tag or hide and seek.
Offer to help with the housework, shoveling snow or raking leaves.  If everybody's sitting around watching football, get on the floor for some situps or pushups. If that's too weird, try isometric exercises -- squeeze and hold the abs, the glutes or even press the hands together to engage the chest.  If you don't have equipment, pick up some full water bottles or soup cans for quick lateral raises or overhead presses. Something is always better than nothing.

Holiday Workouts

If you need some workout ideas, these routines cover everything from cardio to circuit training to strength workouts with no equipment. Print them out and take them with you or just use them for inspiration in creating your own workouts.

1. Chair Squats 3 x 10
2. Lunges 3 x 10
3. One-Legged Deadlifts 3 x 10
4. Wall Sits 3 x 1 minute
5. Push-ups 3 x 10
6. Dips 3 x 10
7. Durpess 3 x 10
8. Planks 3 x 30 seconds
9. Pull-ups 3 x 10
10. Bridge with leg drop 3 x 10

The most important thing is to be realistic and go easy on yourself. You aren't always in charge of your schedule during the holidays so you can only do your best. Remind yourself that you can get back to your routine when you're back home.

Thanks for Reading ........

If You Are Over 40 And Can't Lose Weight? You Are Not Alone....

When I was young enough to think that the age of 40 was prehistoric, I was convinced that the worst thing about getting old was becoming dull and boring - Having supper at 5:00, clipping toenails to the dusty voices of ancient news anchors on 60 Minutes, nagging people to put chew with their mouths closed and turn off the lights when you leave the room, for Pete's sake!

Now, of course, I know what really happens when you get old.

  Sure you get dull and boring, but something worse happens: Sudden, instant weight gain. It happens deep in the night, just after your 40th birthday. The Middle-Age Fairy creeps into your room and loads an extra 5 or 10 pounds right around your belly.  This mysterious fat not only appears without warning, it's also immune to both diet and exercise.

What happens to our bodies after 40 is a trifecta, maybe even a superfecta, of weight gain: Hormones change, metabolism drops and we start to lose a little muscle each year. If you're genetically predisposed to gain weight easily, that may be another strike against you. And the worst part? Even if you don't actually gain weight, you may still gain inches around the waist.  Not fair, I know.

This weight gain can be so frustrating, it's easy to become obsessed with losing it, starving yourself or exercising too much or maybe even looking into the latest plastic surgery procedure.


 But, is that really necessary? Isn't there something we can do about gaining weight after 40? There is and it starts with understanding just what's going on with your body.

Why we gain weight after 40

So, why do we start gaining weight after 40?  There is a multitude of reasons and some of it does depend on lifestyle choices.

  However, the Big Four include:

Hormones: One of the main culprits for weight gain is, of course, our hormones, which start to change right around the mid-30s and into the 40s. This change in hormones, less estrogen for women and less testosterone for men, causes the fat to shift to the middle of the body while abandoning other areas of the body you could care less about. That's one reason you may get a little fluffier around the middle while other parts of you actually get smaller.
Heredity:  Scientists have found the specific genes that determine how many fat cells we have and where they're stored. So, yes, you should feel free to call your parents every so often to thank them for your saddlebags, love handles, etc.
Lower Metabolism: There are a couple of annoying things that happen to your metabolism after the age of 40. First, your basal metabolic rate (BMR) decreases and, second, you expend less total energy (TEE) during exercise. Some experts suggest metabolism can decrease by about 5% for every decade after 40, which means you need about 60-100 fewer calories every 10 years.  If you sit more, eat more, exercise less and deal with more stress throughout that decade, you'll probably need even fewer calories than that. Add that to the fact that you burn fewer calories during exercise and you've got yourself an equation for weight gain.

Loss of muscle:  Like our metabolisms, we also start to lose muscle when we hit our 40s, experiencing a steady decline each decade. Part of this, scientists believe, is that the motor units that make up our muscles decline as we age and that those motor units don't always fire with the same regularity. However, the important takeaway here is this: The biggest factor in losing muscle is the lack of physical activity, which makes exercise a crucial component when it comes to preventing muscle loss.

Of course, just how much each of these contributes to weight gain isn't something we can measure or, often, control.  What we can do is take this knowledge and use it to our advantage, working with our bodies rather than fighting them.  Next:  What to do if you already exercise.

Part 1:  I'm over 40 and I can't lose weight!
Part 2:  I already exercise...how can I stop gaining weight?
Part 3:  I'm not an exerciser...how can I lose weight?

What if I already exercise? How can I stop gaining weight?

If you've managed to keep your weight the same over the years with exercise, it can be a rude awakening when you get into your 40s and 50s.  It isn't so much that you gain weight, it's more that your weight shifts into different places.  Suddenly, the pants you've been wearing for years just don't fit right and you may wonder:  What am I doing wrong?

If you exercise and eat right, you're not doing anything wrong, it's just those age-related changes happening.  And, think about it...if you already exercise to maintain a healthy weight, you're in a much better position than someone who hits 40 with a weight problem. Small comfort, I know.  The fact is, living a healthy lifestyle doesn't protect us entirely from age-related weight changes.

In one study published in The International Journal of Obesity, researchers followed more than 12,000 runners and found this thrilling conclusion: "Age-related weight gain occurs even among the most active individuals when exercise is constant." Of course, this study didn't include people who lift weights, which may have an impact on weight loss.

The question is: If you already exercise every day, is there anything you can do to burn more calories?

It's possible, but this comes with a warning: We may need more exercise to manage weight as we get older, but our bodies typically tolerate less strenuous exercise as we get older as well.

By our 40s and 50s, many of us are dealing with chronic injuries, stress, fatigue, busy jobs and family life and, perhaps, less time and energy than ever to exercise.

Knowing that, if you really want to increase your exercise and/or intensity, there are some options for bumping up your calorie-burn.

Over 40 Weight Loss Tips for Exercisers

Try High-Intensity Interval Training - Tabata, interval training or metabolic conditioning workouts are designed to burn more calories and push you to your limits.
Try Circuit Training - Mixing up cardio and strength together keeps your heart rate elevated, helping you build endurance and strength while burning more calories.
Add more time to your workouts - For example, if you usually workout for an hour, add 10 minutes to 1 to 2 workouts each week.
Add more frequency - If you can, add a day of exercise or you could even consider 2-a-days once in a while to pump up your calorie burn for the week - Doing double cardio or a cardio workout in the morning and strength later that day.
Be more active - Sometimes, just adding a couple of walks each day can help you manage your calories without going overboard with exercise. Try using a pedometer or tracker to see how many steps you can get each day.
Change your diet - You know the drill when it comes to a healthy diet, right? Cut out the sugar and the processed carbs. Eat more vegetables and fiber and cut out the alcohol (I know..that's a tough one). Sometimes a little tweaking here and there, without starving yourself, can help you eek out a few more calories each week.

Hire a trainer - If you've tried everything, maybe it's time to see an expert and get more specific advice for your situation.
See your doctor - If you're killing yourself and still not seeing any changes, see your doctor and get checked out. Discuss the possible reasons for your weight gain or plateau and see if there are some solutions out there. Is one of your medications contributing? Maybe you could try something different.

Whatever changes you make, don't overdo. Listen to your body and back off if you start to feel any symptoms of over training.  It's always best to gradually add more intensity and/or exercise into your routine a few minutes at a time.

So, what if you're a yo-yo exerciser heading into your 40s or 50s and fighting age-related weight gain?  How can you get into a consistent program to manage your weight?  Next, losing weight for the inconsistent exerciser.

Part 1:  I'm over 40 and I can't lose weight!
Part 2:  I already exercise...how can I stop gaining weight?
Part 3:  I'm not an exerciser...how can I lose weight?

If you're not a consistent exerciser, you may be tempted to do a bunch of crazy workouts to deal with weight gain. Try not to give into that temptation because, for one, it's easy to injury yourself.  Second, all that exercise may not give you what you want.  The fact is, exercise doesn't always work the same way on a 40-something-year-old body as it does on a younger body. 

Remember when you were 12 and could eat anything you wanted or when you were 20 and could do 10 crunches and lose, like 5 pounds instantly?

Those were the days, weren't they?  Fast forward to now and the reality is much different. The American College of Sports Medicine said it best in their article, "Exercise and Age-Related Weight Gain,"

"Regular physical activity may be useful in minimizing age-related weight gain or reducing the risk of substantial weight gain, rather than in actually promoting weight loss."

What does that mean for you? That the weight loss process naturally becomes harder as you get older...that's just a fact and accepting it means you can stop punishing yourself or feeling ashamed about your body. Instead of focusing on the negative, focus on the things you can control: Your workouts, activity levels, diet, stress management, sleep management and, most important, your attitude.

There's more to life than losing weight. Is it time to change your goal?

If you're experiencing some of that age-related weight gain, it's easy to panic and start obsessing, restricting and, maybe, exercising like crazy to get rid of it.

Maybe that works for some people, but you can't live that way forever and life isn't much fun if you're worried about every single bite or every single minute of your workouts.

We have a choice in how we deal with age-related weight gain, even if it doesn't feel that way. We even have a choice to completely give up on weight loss and focus on something entirely different.

That doesn't mean giving up all things healthy to sit at home in your sweatpants eating Oreos and zoning out on daytime TV. It means stopping the fixation on the scale and focusing on the things that really matter - How you feel and how you function.

With that in mind, consider this: Your goal doesn't have to be to lose weight. It's probably foreign to most of us, this idea of not working towards weight loss every single day, but taking your weight out of the equation opens the door for so many more options. Without weight loss as your primary goal, what could you attain?

Think about that as you consider all of your options, including:

Option 1: I want to lose this stupid age-weight - If you really want to go for weight loss, you're going to have to work at it and you're going to have to work harder than ever, doing up to 350 minutes of exercise each week. We have to exercise more frequently and more vigorously to compensate for the typical weight gain associated with aging. There are some important points to consider if you go this route:  1. More work won't necessarily bring the changes you're looking for and there's always the chance of injury, burnout and over training, not to mention frustration. 2.  If you don't already exercise, you're going to have to start at the beginning and work your way up to more vigorous exercise over time. How much exercise you need is an individual thing


Option 2: I'm doing as much as I can stand...maybe I should work on preventing more weight gain - While weight loss can require up to 350 minutes of exercise weekly, preventing weight gain allows a more moderate approach, focusing on about 150-250 minutes of exercise each week, a more approachable goal if you have a busy schedule or you're a beginner. 


Option 3: Forget about losing weight. I just want to be healthy and feel good - Focusing on being healthy means getting about 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day. This level of exercise can keep your heart healthy and work on things like lowering your cholesterol and/or blood pressure. This is a great place to start if you're getting into exercise after a long break.  There's no reason you can't start here and progress to more intense goals as you build strength and endurance.


The Bottom Line

The important takeaway from all of this is this:  We can only control so much of what happens to our bodies as we age.  Some things are going to sag or soften or wrinkle no matter what we do, but it's much easier to find some acceptance of our bodies if we do everything we can to keep them healthy and fit. Aging is going to happen.  The question is, can you age more gracefully?


Thanks for Reading.................