Six Workout Wreckers

To get the most out of your workout — and avoid an injury — make sure to avoid these six common mistakes, say experts from the American Council on Exercise:

1. Jerking to lift weights: Make sure your lifts are slow and controlled. Use your muscle to hoist the weight, not momentum.

2. Leaning on the handrails of the stair climber, elliptical trainer, or treadmill: This makes the workout less challenging and can injure your wrists and back. Stand up tall and instead barely brush the handrails for balance.

3. Not getting enough rest: Working out when you're fatigued can lead to sloppy technique and an injury. Make sure to get enough rest before working out.

4. Locking your knees: Always keep your knees slightly bent to prevent an injury.

5. Not warming up: Don't try to shave time off your workout by skipping the warm-up or you could end up on the bench.

6. Getting stuck in a rut: If you're just going through the motions during your workout, shake things up by trying something new! Change will challenge your mind and your body!