Doing Too Much Too Soon

You’ve had a great week of workouts, so you think to yourself, “Why not up the ante and try for more next week?” While a slow build from one week to the next is an important principle of any training plan, getting overzealous about adding mileage, reps, or weight can be a recipe for disaster.

“Soft tissue adaptation takes time and you can’t make your body adhere to your schedule,” explains Laura Bergman, a personal trainer at Fast Track Therapy in Merrifield, Virginia. “Starting your training with plenty of time before your goal event gives you room to progress slowly, and allows time for a safe rate of adaptation.”

So whether you’re looking to shed a few pounds before your sister’s wedding or be able to run 3 miles without stopping, patience and a slow build are key to the success of any workout plan. This means not only embracing a moderate progression, but also taking rest days to allow your body important recovery time.

Not Listening to Your Body

“People often think pain is a normal part of training and that they should push through or ‘suck it up,’” says Bergman. “Tweaks or pinches or achey-ness are messages your body is sending you that something is wrong.”

While some soreness and discomfort will accompany any new training plan, actual pain should not. If you back off as soon as you begin to experience any intense aches, you often won’t require more than a day or two of down time before hopping right back on the bandwagon.

On the other hand, if you ignore those bodily signals, you’re more likely to end up with a full-blown injury. This is the type of scenario that can derail you from pursuing your fitness goals for weeks on end.

Poor Form

Everything from an inefficient running gait to incorrect form in the weight room can cause issues for both fitness veterans and rookies. “If the body is not in a properly aligned position, stress and torque will be placed on joints in a way in which [the body] was not designed,” explains Bergman.

For instance, if you’re starting a new running program, landing excessively on your heels has been shown to cause knee problems, while landing on your toes can lead to . Similarly, poor form in swimming can cause rotator cuff injuries. With strength training, improper technique when using certain machines and weights can also lead to a whole host of ailments.