Common Post-Workout Mistakes
From doing cardio after strength training to skipping the post-workout meal, know the common mistakes you can do after your workout.
1. Skipping the post-workout meal
Not feeling hungry after a workout isn’t a green light to skip eating. Skipping food can be equal to skipping progress, she warns. Your body needs fuel to repair muscles and replenish energy. Refueling after a workout is essential for recovery and growth.
2. Doing cardio after lifting weights
While strength training helps build muscle and burn fat, tacking on cardio afterward can work against your gains. Ankita explains that doing cardio post-weights might actually lead to muscle loss instead of fat loss, undoing all your hard work.
3. Skipping rest days
Recovery is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. Rushing from a workout straight into a packed schedule or denying your body rest days can stall your progress. Recovery is part of the progress and should be taken seriously, Ankita notes.
4. Sitting around in sweaty clothes
Post-workout exhaustion is no excuse for lounging in damp clothes. Ankita admits to learning this the hard way: “Now I change immediately — lesson learned.” Staying in sweaty gym wear can lead to skin issues and irritation.
5. Scrolling for hours after your workout
Feeling great post-workout but then staying up late watching reels? A major mistake. Sleep is where your body recovers and grows stronger. “Gains need rest too,” Ankita says. In other words, don’t trade your sleep for screen time.
Source: Hindustan Times