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Why your workout is failing
It is not necessary to exercise to complete exhaustion to see results from your routine, but you do need to push yourself. NET PHOTO
We all know how fantastic working out is for your health. But what happens when your workouts are not delivering the results you want? While any kind of physical activity is good, some workout plans are better than others and, as you might suspect, a lot of other factors come into play when trying to lose weight and tone up.
Diet
According to Jimmy Ssendya, an instructor at GG’Z gym at Mabirizi Plaza in Kampala, exercising and the food you eat complement each other. He says if you are not eating a nutritious diet with the appropriate number of calories for weight management, you could be shooting yourself in the foot. “After burning the calories in the gym, some people add more weight by eating unhealthy foods. One needs to maintain the results by eating healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables,” he advises.
Get-results remedy: If you cannot seem to see those muscles you are trying to build, start registering your foods to see how many calories you are eating per day. If you are regularly eating more than you should, then try choosing lower-calorie versions of your favourite foods and slowly decreasing your calorie intake until you are at the right level.
You are not working hard
According to Sendya, if you have been exercising consistently for several weeks, months or years, it is time to increase the intensity and start pushing yourself. As you work out more, your body adapts and becomes more efficient at doing that certain activity.
Get-results remedy: In order to get results from exercise, you have to regularly push yourself beyond your fitness comfort zone. Whether you increase the frequency, intensity, or duration of your workouts, you have to switch it up. Not sure where to start? Try adding an extra day of cardio onto your routine or testing out a new group exercise class at the gym. Remember, when it comes to exercise, change is good, and that change should be challenging.
Not the right exercise
Kiwanuka says different exercises work for different effects. You could be doing the wrong ones. He says it is important to tell your instructor what you want to achieve so that he devises an exercise routine suited to your needs.
“You cannot lift weights if your aim is to reduce belly fat. There are exercises for this, such as sit-ups, he says.
You are lazy
Sure, you work out regularly, but what you do the rest of the day matters too. If you put in a solid exercise session only to sit at a desk all day and lounge in a recliner watching TV at night, you may be undoing all of your hard work at the gym.
“Gym is all about regularity and hard work. Some people work out twice a week yet the least should be three to four days. This will make your body reluctant and each time you get to the gym it’s like starting afresh.” Ssendya says. Kiwanuka adds that working out is all about how much effort you put in. If you fail to even carry out a 30-minute workout routine, then the results will be slow coming.
Doing too much too soon
Unfortunately, results do not happen overnight. It takes time and consistency to get in shape. Be patient. Remember you are creating a lifestyle change that you can sustain for the rest of your life.
You are not sweating
Sweating means the body has responded to your exercise implying a few calories have been burnt. Not sweating means you are not putting in effort as expected and therefore, no effect created. Kiwanuka advises that you make sweating one of the goals you achieve each time you attend gym.
Tips on making exercising more effective
Eat right: If you are to take supper, have it as early 7pm. You should also eat plenty of proteins and greens for your body building.
Take plenty of water: Water is a must take after every workout and in daily life because to Ssendya it hydrates your body.
Get partners: To curb laziness, make it a competition and partner with someone who wants the same effect. This will help you achieve your goal.
Rest: Resting helps your body to regenerate. You should rest for at least six hours a day to reform.
