5 Ways To Tell If You’re Exercising Correctly

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as hitting the gym and then not seeing any results. And it happens all the time. But why? 

There are two potential explanations behind this. It could be that you aren’t working out as hard as you think you are. The other option, which is worse, is that you might be focusing on the wrong areas and not maximizing your workout time. 

It’s incredibly common for people to set a wellness goal, work hard at it in the beginning, and then lose focus before ever seeing results. What’s disappointing about this is that often people quit without ever realizing why it wasn’t working out the way they’d planned. 

So, let’s take a look at these five signs that you might not be exercising enough (be prepared for some surprises!) and what you could do to change that. 

1. You Shouldn’t Feel Tired Or Sore The Day After A Workout

If you feel tired or sore the day after a workout, your body has likely adjusted to the daily schedule. Instead of sticking to the same routine of the same weights or cardio, try switching it up.

2. Your Not Losing Any Weight 

You aren’t losing any weight–but is your body shape changing? This is a more significant measure of progress. Are your clothes fitting differently? If not, you might actually be wasting your time at the gym and not getting what you need from your workouts.

To change this, keep track of what you’re eating, and look for ways to change your eating habits. If you don’t have a trainer, add extra weight to your daily routine to help burn fat. You may also want to consider running for weight loss, as Canadian research has indicated that it burns calories and can lessen the muscle to fat ratio. 

3. You Barely Break A Sweat 

If you aren’t breaking a sweat, you’re probably working at a regular pace and could benefit from increasing your intensity. It’s important that you get your heart rate up, which will likely help you break a sweat. 

How you can change this: Get your heart siphoning all the more regularly. For example, between yoga presents or a bunch of squats, drop and do 10 push-ups or 20 hikers to fire up your pulse. 

4. The Last Rep Feels Hard, But You Most Likely Can Do Another 

It’s most likely an ideal opportunity to add more weight. You need to merely have the option to press out that last rep. In the case you don’t know if you can do one more, just give it an attempt. In the event that you come up short, that is OK. That is a sign you’ve arrived at your breaking point.

To make a change, try using free weights that are a couple of pounds heavier than what you usually use. It can help burn more calories and take your workout routine to the next level. 

5. You Run Several Days A Week But Aren’t Getting Any Faster

If you run several day a week but aren’t getting any faster, you could be keeping the same speed, which won’t help you get faster. Adding speed to your practice is an important part of getting the most from your exercise routine. 

If you want to change this, consider varying the speed and intensity in interval runs. An investigation from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that adding endurance runs can improve your VO2 max, or oxygen used during exercise. Switch up your runs week by week to include a speed exercise like hill training, sprints, and interval runs.