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5 habits that are messing up your workout

If you text and chat on your smartphone during exercise you could be sacrificing results, a new study shows. But that's not the only distraction interfering with your workout.
/ Source: TODAY

If you text and chat on your smartphone during exercise you could be sacrificing results, a new study shows.

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Texting or talking on smartphones during exercise reduced fitness and health benefits, according to research from Kent State’s College of Education, Health and Human Services.

The good news: listening to music on your smartphone increased treadmill speed, heart and enjoyment of the workout, the study of 44 students found. Talking on the phone boosted enjoyment but reduced speed. Texting lowered both speed and heart rate by about 10 percent, although it did not affect enjoyment.

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So if having your phone with you during exercise tempts you to use it for anything other than listening to tune, you may want to keep it off until you’re cooling down.

That's not the only distraction that can sabotage your workouts.

1.Watching TV

Many high-tech treadmill include TVs. While watching the news can be a good distraction during a purposely low intensity, recovery style workout, if your goal is weight loss or improving your fitness, then forget the TV.

"You should train hard to the point of almost being out of breath, or at least where talking becomes difficult," says Pete McCall, exercise physiologist with the ACE-certified personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

2. Chit-chatting

It’s fun to work out with friends, but too much chatting can sacrifice your workout. There’s nothing wrong with stopping to talk to people in-between sets, says Anthony Wall, director of professional education for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

“But it’s harder to get through a session if the 2-minute rest turns into a 10 minute discussion on current events.”

3. Floating around aimlessly

When you don’t have a plan for the session you’re more likely to float around the gym, says Wall. “You end up focusing on the stuff you ‘like’ doing versus what you ‘should’ be doing.”

4. Making up your own exercises

When you don’t know what to do or which equipment is best for you, you can easily waste your own time. “Using equipment the wrong way or the wrong form could slow workout down or cause injury, says Wall.

“Not all equipment is intuitive and some exercises are real challenging to learn.” Work with a qualified certified personal trainer to learn how to use equipment.

5. Taking selfies

There's more than one reason you shouldn't snap selfies in from of the mirrors. It's annoying to other gym-goers and it's a workout wrecker.

“You should not be more focused on your appearance during your workout than working out,” says McCall.

Save pics for the end of your routine.