Whether you are day one into an exercise plan or day ninety, one of the biggest reasons people fail to see improvement, or give up too soon, or injure themselves, is because they are literally exercising wrong. It's not just funny when you see someone screwing it up at the gym, it can actually be very dangerous for that person and others around them depending on what they are doing.
BEGINNER FAILS
Everyone has to start somewhere. Not everyone knows everything about a gym or how to do an outdoor workout on the first day. A lot of it can be trial an error especially if you are doing it on your own, but it doesn't have to be. One of the biggest reasons beginners quit is because they get intimidated because they don't know how to use machines properly, they have bad form while working out, or they do too much too soon. If you have never exercised a day in your life how can you expect to realistically be running 5 miles around a track and lifting 200lbs over your head day one or know how to use equipment if you've never done any research on it?
Do you think a surgeon starts cutting into someone's heart after just one day of medical school? You have to set realistic expectations and goals for yourself and realize that these things TAKE TIME to accomplish whilst also learning how to properly workout. The lucky thing for you is there is this secret that only you know about, and that's that there is an internet with all kind of videos and tips and plans and programs for you to get started the right way and to help you learn about how to properly use equipment in the gym or have good form for your outdoor workouts. Barring that, seek out the help of a professional trainer who can guide you through your workouts and make sure you have good form and are getting the most out of your workout sessions.
OBESE PROBLEMS
It can be difficult for a lot of overweight and obese people to start a workout program. Let's be honest, you are putting your body through a shock process that can be harder on you physically with the weight that you have on your body as well as with some of the obesity related issues you may already have. Add to that what can be a huge psychological component because again, being honest, there are a lot of cruel people out there that will mock you for actually getting off your butt and doing something to get healthy (define: irony!) Those people are absolute idiots and you must learn to put focus on yourself and why you are working out, and know that you are doing it for you and your health. Do not let any of that discourage you or find a gym that is much more supportive towards you and your goals and trainers who have trained obese clients in the past and understand their specific needs so that you can do what you need to do.
As far as working out, what may be easy for someone with less body weight to do even if out of shape can be exponentially more difficult for you, and painful even. That is no reason to not go to a gym or workout or to quit because one of your first goals should be to not have to continuously feel like that. Your initial focus of your workouts should be something basic to get your body used to putting a workload or stress on it. Swimming or water aerobics is great if you have bad joint pain, walking as far as you can go and then slowing increasing the distance is good. Lifting smaller weights is good. The good thing for you is that initially because of your size, even making little changes and doing a seemingly less strenuous exercise program will most likely yield more weight loss for you, than it would others, but over time you must keep pushing yourself to do more, to increase the weights, the distances, the times you workout so that you can maintain healthy weight loss along with getting on a healthy clean eating diet plan and sticking to it.
NO TIME TO WEIGHT
No matter how many times you say it, there are people who simply ignore the fact that first and foremost when it comes to weight lifting, you need to have excellent form. This ensures not only are you doing your exercise correctly in order to get maximum benefit, but you are helping to protect your body from injury. Injuries will side line you sometimes for months or may even require surgery if bad enough. You can spend literally a second focusing on good form or you can waste weeks trying to heal from over-training, poor form, and other preventable injuries.
You don't pick up a weight with a curved back, you don't throw weights around to the ground, you don't work out without a spotter if you are trying a new weight that you aren't used to, and even then sometimes a spotter is good to have. You don't use machines for purposes other than what they are intended for (what is it with cables?!?). When necessary, use protective workout gear to support your back, wrists, and knees, and if something physically is hurting you, don't just continuously keep pushing and pushing through the pain because you may be making something much worse than it needs to be if you just give it a rest for a while.
Additionally if you are trying to figure out what weight you can handle, if you can get through 3 sets of an exercise and on the last set towards the end you're straining to get those last reps in with good form, that's probably a good weight for you. If you're on set number 5 and you haven't even broken a sweat, up your weights a bit until you find the right balance. On the same token if you are struggling through a set so badly that your form is shattered or you can't even get through 1-2 reps, lower your weights. You can effectively handle heavier weights doing less reps or sets, but make sure to give yourself some rest time, 15, 30 seconds or a 1 minute between each set and again, if you can't do your sets with good form, you need to lower your weight.
WORKOUT MACHINES
So many people will get on a machine, like the treadmill, spend 20 minutes going at it and weeks later wonder why they aren't seeing all this improvement for what they think are their efforts. If you are walking at 2 miles per hour or literally hanging on the side rails, you are not making the most, or anything out of time spent on a machine. You should be upright, spine straight as possible, hands free from the guard rails putting all your effort into the machine. If you get tired easily while doing more strenuous exercise, do incremental workouts like running or jogging for 2 minutes, followed by walking, and then run/jog, walk, until you finish those 20 minutes on that treadmill. Your goal should be to keep building on the time, on the level of incline, on the speed at which you are able to go, the distance, etc. but in the safest manner possible that will yield the most results.
NO CHANGE
The human body has a goal, and that is what is referred to as homeostasis. Your body will do everything in it's power to stay at a set point where you are able to do the activities you need to do and the body can run most efficiently with everything working in balance. For this reason, you must constantly shake things up in your workout. Why is it 6 months later and you're still only lifting 5lb hand weights, or walking the same 2 miles on the same path, or only working out 2x a week and expecting to see massive changes in your body?
Initially when any of us starts a program, we tend to be the most dedicated and see the most results quickly. We faithfully do the plan we've decided on, we eat right, we make all our gym times, but those plans as is can only serve you for so long when it comes to seeing change. Another huge reason people quit is because they just don't understand how 6 months ago running a mile a day made them lose 10lbs, and now it's been two months and they haven't lost anything so they quit or they get bored, and quit. Challenge yourself constantly. If you aren't seeing change enlist the help of a good friend or a trainer to help spice up your workout or show you how you can add more weights or exercise differently to see new results in your quest for gains or to get in shape in general.
TECHNOLOGY
This is another one where a lot of people are in denial about how they are really exercising. A workout is not show up and do 10 jumping jacks, lift 30lbs, and then sit down on the phone for the next hour or clog up the gym taking selfies. I know it pains you to death to do, but put the phone in your locker or use what willpower you have left in this world to only use it in the gym for music purposes. You often hear these people say, well, I go to the gym 4x a week, but what are they...what are YOU, really doing in there to help accomplish your goals? Be present during your workout.
Talking on the phone can often distract you from your surroundings which can be dangerous working out outside and pull focus away from you exercising with good form because you're holding hand rails, you're bending wrong, you're lifting wrong, you're slouching, all trying to have a conversation. Add to that, you become a total nuisance talking and laughing loudly and sitting on machines that others are trying to use to actually workout on. Don't be that guy or that girl!
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