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Humans are habitual. For every good habit developed, a bad habit usually creeps in without noticing.
Bad habits kill progress, especially in the gym. Active.com highlighted the 8 most common bad gym habits that will hurt your gains, ruin your complexion and be detrimental to your overall health.
The first few bad habits are minor offenses that can easily be remedied. First, don’t skip the cooldown and stretch, even if you’re in a rush. These activities “reduce heart and breathing rates, cool your body temperature and return muscles to their optimal length-tension relationship.”
Next, make sure you immediately take off your stank gym clothes because sweaty-soaked shirts, shorts, and underwear can cause skin rashes and bacterial infections. Hop into the shower while you’re stripped down to eliminate the rest of the bacteria that could be hanging around.
The three worst habits after a workout involve refueling, rehydrating and giving yourself way too much credit.
- Drink water! Dehydration is a key contributor to post-workout fatigue. Make sure you chug a bottle of water after working out and refill the bottle before you leave the gym to drink on the car ride or walk home.
- Eat! Eat in the first 30 minutes after a workout. Get some good protein. Active suggests ” Keep a few portable snacks in your gym bag (such as high-quality protein bars) and remind yourself to refuel after your cooldown. If solid food is too much for your stomach to handle, try a protein smoothie or liquid electrolyte replacement drink to give your body some fuel until you sit down for a full meal. “
- Don’t Eat Garbage! Eat SOMETHING GOOD in the 30 minutes after a workout. Don’t guesstimate the number of calories burned to justify eating like crap after your workout. Unless you’re constantly monitoring your calories burned with a fitness tracker, don’t assume. And don’t celebrate by going to happy hour and putting back all the calories with booze. That’s just dumb.
Check out the rest of the article for more suggestions on crushing bad post-workout habits.
[via Active.com]