Fitness don'ts

BODY-BUILDING: Having a gym buddy and organizing your time can help you get the most from your fitness routine. [Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

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Wasting your time in the gym. Have you ever met the gym girl who is always busy smoothing her hair in front of mirror or texting her friends? Don’t be her. You need a detailed workout plan to strictly adhere to. That means you can't take the time to wander in the gym, stay away from your cell phone as much as possible. You should have a good control of time — even the time to drink water should be carefully managed. But don't be too obsessed with body-building. No one likes a fanatic gym-goer.

• Overlook relaxation. How many of you just head for the bathroom after the last set of movement? You should actually take a few minutes to let your heart rate to drop to the normal level. So, relaxation is as important as your warm-up.

• Too much aerobic or strength training. Aerobic exercise can burn more calories, right? Running one hour on the treadmill can help you lose 400 calories and give you a temporary rush of pride, but intensive strength training combined with aerobic training can help you lose more calories and increase muscle. That means when you are not working out, the muscles you build can help you burn some calories. You should stay away from excessive strength training as well. You can hurt your muscles if you try to lift a barbell or dumbbell that is too heavy for you.