#exercise winter

If you’re looking to build muscle mass, you should get a membership to your local gym. While you can perform some exercises at home, gyms have professional-grade equipment that can further facilitate your workouts. However, you’ll want to avoid making the following mistakes at the gym.

#1) Inconsistency

You can’t expect to see any noticeable gains in muscle mass if you only visit the gym once a month. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common problem experienced by countless men and women. You may initially sign up for a gym membership with the intentions of visiting several days a week. After a few months, however, you fall back into your normal routine, choosing other activities instead of the gym. The bottom line is that you need to be consistent with your gym visits; otherwise, you won’t make any noticeable gains.

#2) Not Warming Up

How much of a difference does warming up really make? Well, it’s more important than you may realize. A short 5-minute stretching routine improves blood flow to your muscles and reduces the risk of injury. For these reasons and others, you should get into the habit of warming up at the gym before hitting the weights.

#3) Not Drinking Enough Water

Statistics show that nearly two-thirds of Americans are chronically dehydrated. If you don’t drink enough water, your muscles will become more prone to stress, which could also lead to injury. To prevent this from happening, be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout sessions at the gym. Some people follow the eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day rule, but you really just need to listen to your body and drink when you feel thirsty.

#4) Working Out Every Day

Conventional wisdom may lead you to believe that working out at the gym every day of the week will help you achieve your fitness goals more quickly. In reality, though, it can actually hinder your progress. Instead of working out every day, skip a day between your workout sessions. If you visit the gym on Monday, for instance, wait until Wednesday to return.

#5) Only Targeting Your Upper Body

The bone-chilling winter temperatures often discourages people from exercising. It's hard enough trying to muster the energy to hit the gym and/or go running around the neighborhood when it's warm, but these otherwise simple tasks are even more challenging when it's cold outside. So, how can you stay active throughout the winter season?

Stay Indoors

There's no rule stating that you must go outside to get a workout. While jogging/running is certainly a beneficial form of cardiovascular exercise, there are plenty of other workouts that will increase your heart rate as well. Instead of running or jogging when it's cold outside, try using a treadmill or elliptical at your local gym. This allows you to receive the same benefits as running, but you don't have to battle the unbearably cold temperatures.

Gear Up

If you decide to exercise outdoors during the winter, make sure you have the appropriate gear. Many people overlook the importance of wearing cold-weather apparel when exercising outdoors during the winter. The wrong gear, however, can increase your risk of hypothermia by trapping your body's moisture and/or absorbing moisture from snow/rain.

Mid-Day Exercises

Another key tip for cold-weather workouts is to exercise around the middle of the day. Granted, some people don't have the luxury of choosing a specific time of day to work out, but if possible you should plan your winter exercises for the early-to-mid afternoon hours when it's the warmest.

Going running during the early AM hours in the summer is preferable for many people. But when it's cold outside, you'll want to avoid early-morning jogs and runs. Waiting until lunch time to hit the pavement can make a world of difference in your comfort levels, and subsequently your determination to exercise in the winter.

Work Out at Home

There are plenty of ways to get a full-body workout from the comfort of your own home, without battling the cold winter temperatures. A couple of medium-weight dumbbells, for instance, will allow you to perform standing military shoulder presses, bicep curls, squats, lunges, deadlifts, and many other strength training exercises. Just remember to give your body a full 48 hours to recover between strength training workouts such as this.