Stop Doing This 1 Mistake If You Want to Lose Weight

Young,Women,Running,On,A,Treadmill,,Exercise,At,The,Fitness — Shutterstock

Is there anything worse than spending an hour working out only to find out your form was incorrect the whole time, and the effort probably wasn't even productive? TikTok fitness influencer @danielmamanfit knows how frustrating it is to put in the effort and not get weight loss results, so he wants to share some great advice about how to avoid wasting your own time. Want to make the most of your precious workout time? Here's one specific thing that can derail your progress. Read on to find out more.

Bad Treadmill Form

@danielmamanfit ❌STOP using the treadmill like this if you want to lose weight 👇🏽 👉 Having your hands on the sides of the treadmill 👉 Walking on an incline and grabbing the handle bars + leaning back. ❌ BOTH of these mistakes cause you to burn far less calories than you would if you walked with your hands at your sides. 🔥 Drop your hands down, drop your ego, and drop the speed / incline if you need to. 🙌 Save, share, and thank me later 😉 . . . #womenwholift #fitnesstipsforwomen #workoutforwomen #womenonly #shein #cardioworkout #womenwithmuscle #weightlossjourney #hourglassfigure #fatloss #fitnesscoach #personaltrainer #cardio ♬ Rich Flex – Instrumental – Fruity Covers

Daniel starts his video by showing what terrible form on a treadmill looks like. "If your cardio on the treadmill looks like this [using the sidebars to support your weight] or this [holding on and leaning back while walking] you're literally better off going outside for a walk on the pavement," he says.

Why Is It Bad?

Woman using incline threadmill in modern gym. Incline threadmills are used to simulate uphill walking or running and deliver additional workout benefits to users. — Shutterstock

Daniel explains the whole point of walking on an incline is to push yourself up with every step—if your hands are supporting your weight, all you're doing is working out your legs less efficiently. Holding on the front bars means you are no longer on an incline, as you will be leaning back.

Let the Handles Go

Shutterstock

Daniel makes a great point about how form is more important than speed: If you're doing too much too fast, it's better to drop your speed than to waste time on the treadmill with incorrect form, undermining your workout. "Start getting the most out of every single step," Daniel says.

The Sweet Spot

Woman walking cross country and trail in autumn forest — Shutterstock

Walking is a great way to encourage fat loss. "Physical activity, such as walking, is important for weight control because it helps you burn calories," Katherine Zeratsky, RD, LD, tells the Mayo Clinic. "If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. Of course, the more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you'll burn."

Walking Workouts

Rear view of young woman walking on treadmill — Shutterstock

Walking is a highly underrated form of fat burning cardio, experts say. "There are so many fancy exercise machines, fitness gadgets and complex ways to exercise that it can be all too easy to forget about the oldest and most simplistic way to exercise: walking," says LIFT Society Co-Founder David Schenk. "The benefits of walking everyday go beyond just burning calories and fat and include boosting your mood, helping to digest your food better, connecting with nature, overcoming anxiety and depression and being social. The bottom line is that walking everyday is the simplest, cheapest and easiest way to start improving your health and wellness today."

💪🔥Body Booster: Just half an hour of walking every day can help burn fat and get strong.

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