Gym delulu: eight mistakes people make when working out

The easy part of a workout routine is planning it. The hard part? Sticking to it. But even harder is ensuring you don’t harm your body along the way.

Selvan Naicker, brand manager for ActivEze, says understanding how to protect your body while pursuing your fitness goals isn’t just about preventing injuries; it’s about optimising your performance and ensuring you can stay active for years.

“By respecting your body’s limits, progressing gradually and maintaining proper form, you’ll not only reduce your injury risk but also obtain your PBs,” he says.

Naicker suggests avoiding these eight mistakes to ensure an effective and safe training environment:

Mistake #1: Skipping the warm-up

Perhaps the most critical mistake is jumping straight into intense exercise without properly preparing your body. A good warm-up before a workout widens your blood vessels, ensuring your muscles are well supplied with oxygen.

Dedicate 5 to 10 minutes to light cardio and dynamic movements before your workout. Warming up prevents injuries by loosening your joints and improving blood flow to your muscles, making your muscles less likely to rip, tear or twist in a harmful way during your workout.

Mistake #2: Doing too much, too soon

One of the most dangerous workout mistakes is going from sedentary to superhuman overnight. Never increase the length of your workouts by more than 10% from one week to the next and never increase the length and intensity of your workout at the same time.

Remember that sustainable fitness is built over months and years, not days and weeks.

Mistake #3: Ignoring pain signals

Forget the old saying, “no pain, no gain”. To build strength and stamina, you will need to challenge yourself, but there’s a difference between exertion and injury.

Learn to distinguish between normal exercise discomfort and warning signs of injury. Sharp pain, joint pain or pain that persists after your workout should not be ignored.

Mistake #4: Neglecting proper form

Poor exercise form is a recipe for joint stress and muscle strain. When technique breaks down, your body compensates in ways that can create imbalances and increase injury risk.

Start with lighter weights or modified movements until you master proper technique. Consider working with a qualified trainer, especially when learning complex movements such as squats, deadlifts or overhead presses.

Mistake #5: Repeating the same movements

Repeating the same muscle movements frequently can lead to overuse and repetitive-use injuries such as shin splints and tendinitis.

To help prevent overuse injuries, vary your workouts: run on day 2. Lift weights on day 2. This approach not only prevents overuse injuries but also promotes balanced muscle development.

Mistake #6: Ignoring joint health

Many exercisers focus exclusively on building muscle while neglecting the joints that make movement possible.

Choose low-impact exercise: walking, swimming and cycling are good examples. They don’t jolt or put stress on your joints like running or jumping.

Mistake #7: Forgetting to cool down

Just as warming up prepares your body for exercise, cooling down helps it transition back to rest. Done correctly, warming up and cooling down may offer help in reducing your risk of injury and improving your athletic performance.

Spend five to 10 minutes after your workout doing light movement and static stretching. This helps your heart rate gradually return to normal and can reduce muscle soreness.

Mistake #8: Dehydration and poor recovery

Proper hydration supports joint lubrication and muscle function, while adequate recovery allows your body to adapt and strengthen. Drink water before, during and after exercise.

Avoiding workout mistakes isn’t about being overly cautious; it’s about being smart with your training approach. Remember: the best workout routine is one you can stick with consistently over time. Taking care of your joints and muscles today ensures you can continue reaping the benefits of exercise for decades to come.