6 Health and Fitness Mistakes That Too Many People Make

From drinking water to getting enough sleep each night, you may be sabotaging your own health and fitness goals without even knowing it. If you are making these mistakes, focus on making the changes to improve your personal health.

Aug. 23, 2015 Cheat Sheet

Even if you stick to a strict diet and fitness routine, it’s possible you aren’t actually as healthy as you may think. Many of your daily habits and rituals could actually be harmful to your health. To help check yourself before you wreck yourself, here are six health mistakes you’re probably making.

1. Your fitness foods aren’t keeping you fit
When it comes to staying fit, why wouldn’t you reach for granola bars or cereal that promote a healthy lifestyle on the packaging? Well as it turns out, according to a recent study, these “nutritious foods” aren’t keeping you as healthy as you may think. In the study, researchers found that “fitness” foods caused consumers to eat more and workout less. So the next time you chow down on a Clif bar before a workout, just remember that the food itself won’t help you lose weight. You still need to put in the legwork to burn off calories.

2. You forget to breathe
Whether you’re angry, stressed, or even just constantly on the move, one of the quickest things we forgo in our daily routine is breathing. Forgetting to inhale is a huge mistake, since it’s one of our body’s most powerful health-maintaining mechanisms. The more oxygen that reaches your brain, the better you can make decisions, relax throughout your day, and support the functions of your muscles and organs. Try to make it a habit to focus on your breathing during the day — whether it’s during your commute, workout, or even while you’re sitting in the office. While it can be hard to add healthy breathing into your daily ritual, try some of these exercises, and soon you’ll be inhaling and exhaling your way to a healthier day.

3. You browse the Internet before bed
Do often find yourself feeling groggy when you wake up in the morning? Do you also browse Facebook in bed before drifting to sleep? Well your late night surf-sessions could be the cause of your subpar sleep. According to researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), using a light-emitting electronic device in the hours before bed can adversely affect your health, alertness, and circadian clock which regulates your sleep patterns. To get some better shut-eye, make a point to keep your eyes away from screens at least an hour before you plan to go to bed.