Why Extreme Exercises Should be Avoided

Everyone wants to be in shape and many are rigorously
into various levels of extreme fitness activities. But these are
actually causing more harm than good to you, in your quest to lose
weight

 Why Extreme Exercises Should be Avoided

Jumping with weights and dumbbells:
In group classes, you are advised to do the plyometrics (a type of
exercise designed to produce fast and powerful movements) with light
weights. Hopping on step-up benches, lunges and other movements include
holding dumbbells or light weights strapped on your ankles. Though
jumping is good to burn calories, jumping with weights on might end up
in a tissue or muscle rupture or a ligament tear.

“If you are
enthusiastic about jumps, you should opt for the kettleball swing,” says
Althea Shah, fitness expert. Dumbbell and barbell movements can be done
in a more specific resistance training programme, where each movement
is monitored by an instructor.

Training on an empty stomach: If you believe
training on an empty stomach in the morning will help you burn the
calories you consumed last night, then you are wrong. Says Shah, “When
you wake up in the morning, your glycogen levels are low in the body and
though you tend to burn more calories, you don’t realise that there is a
high probability of your body deriving calories from your muscle
tissue.” Have a light meal before you start your workouts in the
morning.

Stretching before a workout: Stretching is ideally
done during or after a workout or as a separate individual exercise
routine. Says Shetty, “A warm up is done basically to exercise your
muscles before you start with your regular workout routine. This can be
done on a treadmill for about 10 minutes and a few warm-up sets for the
first few resistance exercises.” Stretching a muscle before a workout
may lead to ligament tear or painful muscle pull.

Know your limits:
It’s okay to push yourself when you are working out at the gym to lose
weight, but when you tend to go overboard with your exercise routine, it
is not good. Especially when you tend to push yourself beyond your
limits, you are most likely to injure yourself.

But as fatigue
starts to set in while you are pushing yourself more than required, your
form starts to falter. Fitness experts are of the opinion that this
causes overload to joints and soft-tissues and makes it susceptible to
injuries.

Marathon running: Running a marathon to shed extra
kilos is a definite no-no. Says Shetty, “Marathon running can certainly
help you burn more calories but at the cost of losing out on your muscle
mass.” If you are keen on running, make sure the session is no longer
than 60 minutes, with regular water breaks in between. Make sure you
have an energy booster before you start with your run. If you stretch
longer than 60 minutes, you might end up with a muscle pull or a
backache.

Make sure to practice with a trainer for at least 45
minutes every day to help build stamina and capacity before you go for
the longer duration run.

Fad diets: “A detox diet is not recommended for
weight loss. Losing weight too quickly can be dangerous at times. While
fad diets may help you reduce the numbers on the scale, they can cause
severe health complications and you might end up putting on more weight
than before,” says Shah.

To lose weight in a healthy manner, plan your diet with your nutritionist so that you lose weight in the right way.

Pills and powders: “Pills and powders for weight
loss are highly hazardous,” says Shah. Diet pills are said to cause
nutrient deficits, organ damage and increase cholesterol.

Dietary
supplements in the form of pills and powders do not help rev up your
metabolism. Eating a healthy breakfast increases your metabolic rate in
the day and keeps your energy levels high. It helps you lose weight
faster during the course of the day.