Five reasons why exercising doesn't produce results!

Attending the gym and following an intensive workout routine is in and of itself a challenging task and it's hard to motivate yourself if you don't see almost immediate results.

Here are some common mistakes that may stop you in your path, according to personal trainers.

Not getting enough sleep

Bad sleep may make you feel too tired and groggy to exercise even if you have had a good night's sleep.

However, even those who manage to convince themselves to go to the gym may suffer consequences.

Studies have shown that this is because lack of sleep can prevent your muscles from recovering. When you sleep, muscles relax and blood flow increases — bringing more oxygen and nutrients that help muscles repair and regenerate, according to experts.

"Lack of sleep is often cited as one of the main causes of poor performance or desire to stick to goals and programs, and while this is certainly true, lack of sleep is the most detrimental," said Matt Roberts, a personal trainer who has helped the likes of Naomi Campbell, Mel C and Adele.

Dr. Darren Blair, a lecturer at the University of California and a fitness expert, explained The body needs enough time to be able to recover and adapt. And exercises cause certain damage that needs to be repaired and renewed. If you're not getting enough rest, you're affecting your ability to adapt."

It's recommended that you sleep between 7 and 9 hours each night - even if that means going to bed earlier than usual.

Not taking rest days

“One of the most common mistakes people make in their health and fitness regimes is assuming more is better when it comes to exercise,” said Luke Worthington, a personal trainer who has assisted celebrities including Jodie Comer and Dakota Johnson.

He said, "If you get a result with three exercises a week, you will get twice the result with six exercises a week ... On the surface, this logic may make sense, and therefore it is very easy to see how it is possible to fall into this trap."But he insists it doesn't really work that way.

According to Worthington, strength, cardiovascular fitness, mobility, body composition and well-being improve with periods of rest.

"These changes don't actually happen during our workouts, they happen in between," he said.

Exercise causes muscle to break down, but when you rest, your body repairs damaged muscle fibers - which is why muscle increases in size.

Therefore, interrupting this process may hinder your progress in the gym.

Skipping meals and not eating enough

Cutting out certain foods or eating fewer carbs are two sure ways to see faster results in the gym, right? But that's the exact opposite of what you should be doing, according to experts.

In fact, making sure you're 'adequately fortified' with carbohydrates, protein and fat is key to looking lean, according to Worthington.

He said: 'While it is true that if weight loss is the goal we need to be in an overall calorie estimation, a very common mistake is to reduce protein intake. Most people who set weight loss as a goal don't really mean to lose weight - "They mean fat loss. If we want to reduce body fat, we need our body to use it as a fuel source. While reducing calories can assist you in losing weight, consuming protein will help you burn fat and give you the energy you need to beat the burn."

Do the same routine

Dr. Player explains that your exercise progress can stabilize if you don't mix up your exercises.

He said: "With training there has to be some level of overload, it has to be a new stimulus that your body is receiving in order for it to adapt. So, if you are doing the same thing over and over, your body will not receive that new stimulus."

Dr. Blair recommends alternating your walk, run, and cycling routine. Not only will this help you lose weight and get fit, it will also keep you motivated.

But you have to be patient with the results, because muscles don't simply grow overnight.

He added: "People expect very fast results, but it takes a long time for the body to adapt.

Not warming up

Getting straight into a workout can put unnecessary strain on your muscles and potentially cause injury.

Furthermore, personal trainers say that not warming up also prevents you from performing at your best.

Worthington explains that a warm-up increases blood flow and oxygen to your muscles to improve performance as well as recovery.

"If we're about to perform an exercise, we need blood flow directed to the large skeletal muscles in our arms and legs," he said.

According to the NHS, warming up activates the connections between your nerves and muscles, increasing your range of motion.

"It makes exercise easier and our motivation to work harder increases significantly," Worthington added.

Source: Daily Mail - Published on 31-1-2023