Why fitness programs fail? Each year millions of people make a decision to improve their health and fitness and begin an exercise program. Yet after investing time and money in health club memberships, new treadmills, or the latest exercise “gizmo”, most fail to achieve significant long term results.

Conflicting messages from diet books, weight loss centers, health clubs, and the media make fitness confusing.

Common mistakes of why fitness programs fail
Awareness of common mistakes can prevent wasted time, energy, and money. Listed below are the ten most common mistakes that lead to fitness failure.

1. Incomplete programs
To be successful, a program must be complete. A complete program includes a attention to nutrition, resistance training, and cardiovascular exercise– all leading to a “synergy” effect for maximum results.

2. Failure to address nutrition first
Beginners often make the mistake of joining a gym before they’ve cleaned up their diet. By starting with a nutrition plan to eat healthier, energy will naturally increase. This prepares the body for more intense exercise.

3. Incomplete nutrition
A nutrition plan is essential to success and achieving fitness results. Eating “healthy” is not enough. Complete nutrition goes beyond cutting out junk food. Meals must be balanced with healthy carbohydrates, proteins, and essential fats. Vitamin/mineral supplementation is also essential to ensure required amounts of essential micronutrients and anti-oxidants.

4. Avoiding endurance
Don’t be afraid of cardiovascular exercise. Too often men run to the “weights” and avoid cardio equipment, this is why fitness programs fail. All exercisers can benefit from building endurance with light cardiovascular exercise before including resistance training in their program.

5. Push too hard, too soon
The body must be given time to respond to a new exercise program. A gradual build up in intensity and duration of exercise is essential to avoid unnecessary soreness, injury, and discomfort. Slowly progressing into a program will not only protect the body, but will make the process much more enjoyable.

6. No warm-up or cool-down
Lack of a warm-up is a major cause of injury and why fitness programs fail. Skipping a warm-up leads to an inefficient workout, pulled muscles, or even more serious injuries- destroying enthusiasm for exercise. A cool down is also essential to reduce the amount of adrenaline in the blood, flush out toxins, and reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Spending 5-10 minutes after a workout is crucial to helping the body transfer to a recovery state.

7. No stretching
Avoiding stretching is not just a trait of beginners. Few exercisers give attention to flexibility– which leads to inevitable injury. When joints and muscles are not stretched, their range of motion (ROM) gradually decreases over time. Eventually a stiff body will tear, pull, or break.

8. No post workout nutrition
Many begin a weight training program full of enthusiasm...until they wake up and can’t move for 3 days. Post workout nutrition is essential to accelerate the recovery process. Consuming a post workout shake transfers the body to a recovery and anabolic “muscle re-building” state immediately following exercise.

9. No professional guidance
Many begin a fitness program without defined goals or a plan to achieve them. To achieve significant, long term results, the guidance of an expert puts one on the right track. Often well meaning friends or neighbors share incomplete knowledge that leads many in a negative direction– causing further frustration, little or no progress, and even injury.

10. No accountability
Success achievers know that accountability is essential to move from intention to results. Without support and a regular “check-up from the neck up,” life’s distractions quickly take many off course. Use accountability to stay on track with goals to avoid plateaus or backsliding.

Conclusion
Knowing common mistakes and pitfalls beforehand can prevent frustration, injury, and loss of motivation. Taking steps to prevent them from occurring will guarantee a happier and more successful fitness program.