Brits' worst habits when it comes to exercising have been identified, revealing that whilst we may have good intentions, we can fall victim to overly chatty exercisers and workout postponers.
Research by leading outdoor fitness provider British Military Fitness showed what annoys us most about others exercising, with 49% of us saying people that stop working out to talk to others annoys us the most, whilst people checking their phones whilst working out was also a bugbear, with a third of Brits (32%) saying this really gets on their nerves.
Not warming up or cooling down properly was named as one of Brits own worst habits, with 28% of people saying they often don't do this whilst not having enough rest or having too much rest was named by 42% of the population as their worst habit.
Harry Sowerby, Managing Director of British Military Fitness said "When we exercise, regardless of what we do, we are applying deliberate stress to the body.
Sowerby, Managing Director of British Military Fitness, "In a way, this is great as our bodies are forced to adapt to the stress applied, which in time makes us stronger, leaner, fitter and faster. However, getting enough rest is vital, as it gives the body time to recover and adapt to beyond where we started. It is during the rest process that the real work starts to take shape."
Further results show that one in seven (15%) people learn bad habits from parents, whilst one in five males say they pick up their bad habits by copying others working out. And it seems the younger you are, the more likely you are to be ditching exercise, with a quarter of 16-24 year olds saying they often postpone exercise and a third saying they are often persuaded by friends not to workout with only 5% of over 50s saying the same.
Harry continued "It can be really easy to pick up negative habits from people such as friends and family, as well as others you see working out that look like they know what they are doing! That's why group classes or having an instructor can be really beneficial in knowing what's the right thing to do to get the most out of your fitness regime."
The research also revealed a difference between what annoys men and women, with over half of males (51%) getting annoyed by other's poor form and 46% of men getting frustrated when others haven't finished their sets, whilst women's workout biggest pet peeve is when people are all talk and no action, while 47% of females get annoyed when people stop exercising to talk to others.
Many of us waste over a day a year due to poor habits. When it comes to how much time is wasted due to these bad habits, 15% of people say around 10 minutes per workout is squandered. For people working out an average of three times a week, this would equate to approximately 26 hours a year that is wasted due to poor workout habits.
Harry continued "When it comes to working out, it is easy to pick up bad habits and often if you have no one to tell you otherwise, these bad habits won't go away. It surprised me to think people could be wasting over a day a year due to habits such as checking their phone and not knowing how to do the exercises properly - just think what you could do with the extra time! At BMF, classes are led by expert instructors who really pay attention to the members and make sure they are working out as efficiently as possible, with no access to mobile phones and no time wasted!"
Brits' Worst Workout Habits
Not drinking enough water - 55%
Not getting enough rest / resting too much - 42%
Eating badly before / after exercise - 36%
Not warming up / cooling down properly - 28%
Working out on an empty stomach - 28%
Brits' Workout Pet Peeves
People stopping exercise to talk to others - 49%
People who are all talk, no action - 48%
People not doing exercises correctly - 41%
People not finishing their sets - 40%
People checking phones whilst exercising - 32%
To find out more about British Military Fitness, or to sign up for a free taster session, please visit www.britishmilitaryfitness.com
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