A FITNESS expert has revealed three bad gym habits that could actually age you faster.
While consistent exercise is recommended for everyone, you may be making mistakes that hinder your fitness goals.
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Most people should have variety in their training sessions, including strength training and aerobic workouts.
However, the way you do your workouts can really affect your results.
For example, exercising too often too often can be harmful to your health in the long run, says fitness and nutrition coach Tim Liu.
“While you want to work hard and push your body to get the most out of your strength training sessions, don’t go overboard!” Liu said†
To get the most out of your workouts, you need to be able to fully recover.
“There are only so many muscle fibers and motor units you can recruit in one session, and more than that turns into ‘junk volume,’ meaning you build up fatigue,” he said.
Not only can you be tired, but working too hard can actually make you stressed.
“When you exercise too much, your body also makes more cortisol, which you should avoid at all costs,” Liu said.
Cortisol can cause more stress, which in turn can speed up the aging process.
“If you do strength training regularly, three to four work sets in most of your exercises should be enough, and you can include a rest day or two.”
Another tip Liu had for those on a fitness journey is not to overdo the HIIT workouts.
“HIIT is a great form of exercise,” Liu said.
“You burn calories at a faster rate compared to regular cardio, in addition to boosting your metabolism and sweating.”
However, like Liu’s first piece of advice, he said HIIT can be difficult to fully recover from.
“Like strength training, you want to manage fatigue and not overdo it,” he said.
He said to limit HIIT workouts to just two days a week.
Finally, Liu said people should prioritize zone two training in their routine.
This is basically a low-impact cardio session that can include running, swimming, cycling, or rowing.
“Working aerobically is important to improve your metabolic health, longevity, mitochondrial function and resting heart rate,” Liu said.
“If you don’t include zone 2 training in your routine, you’re missing out on this vital health benefit and can speed up your aging process.
“Make sure to include two to three sessions of zone two training in your routine, aiming for 30 to 45 minutes in each session.”