Five Big Don'ts: Workout Tips to Change Your Life

In life, it's often best to focus on the positive, the dos rather than the don'ts.�But in health and fitness, sometimes you just need to tell yourself: STOP!�Certain patterns of behavior and misconceptions are counter-productive to a healthy lifestyle, and the only way to kick the habit is to go cold turkey.�

Don't Starve Yourself.Some people think that skipping meals is a good way to cut calories and drop some weight.�Skipping meals deprives your body of nutrients, causing it to gather energy from your existing body mass and slowing your metabolism.�It also makes too cranky and lightheaded to make rational judgments.�And the weight you drop could come back with a vengeance.�Instead, eat reasonable meals in responsible portions throughout the day to keep yourself fueled and happy -- and your metabolism at its best.

Don't Skip the Before and After. To minimize time in the gym, some people skip warming up before and stretching after. However, doing so doesn't take long, and the benefits are bountiful. Take a few minutes to warm up to increase blood flow throughout your body, deliver more oxygen to your muscles, and increase your performance. Warming up also increases muscle temperature and lubricates your joints, preventing injuries that could take you out of the gym for a long time. The stretch after is your reward, giving your muscles a chance to cool down slowly and easing any soreness you'll feel tomorrow, decreasing the chance of injury or cramping.

Don't Train Randomly. If you go to the gym haphazardly -- three days this week and one day next week; one night, one morning, one afternoon -- you exercise, which is a good thing, but with significantly fewer results. Train like an Olympian by planning a schedule and a regimen. The discipline you'll learn will give you mental acuity and focus, and you'll see results in your body, your endurance, your strength, and your psychology.

Don't Compare Yourself to Others. Everyone who walks through the door of a gym deserves respect for having made it there. They have their own goals, strengths, and struggles and are there for themselves, and nobody else. Don't wish to look like somebody else -- it will mess with your psychology. Appreciate your strengths and nurture what you have. You're beautiful.

Don't Undersleep. We all hear people say they'll catch up on their sleep over the weekend, but sleep isn't a bank that you can fill at any time. Once it's gone, it's gone. Treat your body with respect by giving it the rest it deserves. Sleep deprivation dumbs you down, puts your health at risk, decreases the time your muscles have to recover and grow, and diminishes your sex drive. For one week, try going to bed early and getting up late. Sleep seven or eight hours a night for that week and see what a difference it makes.

BONUS DON'T

Don't Be the Gym Douche. Lists of what constitutes proper gym etiquette are all over the internet. Abide by them, and people at the gym will like you. It will make your life as a gym-goer friendlier and happier. And friendly and happy is what life's all about.