Photo by Temari 09.
It’s easy to get stuck in a fitness rut. I’ve talked before about the importance of mixing things up to keep your body guessing. This is essentialeven if you’re not trying to lose weight. Once you get good at something you start running the risk of “phoning it in” and that can become detrimental even if your just trying to maintain your current level of fitness. Not only does your body start burning fewer calories if you do the exact same workout every day, but you also run the risk of growing bored and burning out. i recently went through a two week period where I wasn’t finding time for my usual Pilates and yoga classes and ended up logging most of my workouts on a treadmill. Even in that short time I started feeling the effects- physical and mentally. My body felt like it was dragging on each run, I felt stiff, inflexible and all around unmotivated. However, once I got back into my classes, my attitude immediately started to turn around. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a person who LOVES running but even I need a change of scenery sometimes. Not to mention the fact that building up strength in your core (Pilates) and developing flexibility in the hips and spine (yoga) really comes in handy when your’e trying to improve as a runner. I find that my form improves when I mix in this type of cross training and I’ve had fewer problems with those little nagging injuries. Knock. On. Wood.
Photo by jerryonlife
This way of thinking can apply to all areas of exercise. If you’re a gym person do you gravitate towards the same cardio machines every time? You’re not alone. Sometimes you have to force myself to try the things you dislike in order to get the most out of a workout. There’s a reason why certain exercises are harder than others- those are the ones you need to work on! I’m not saying to stop doing bicep curls all together if you are good at them but maybe do those and then throw in a few sets on something else you tend to avoid after. I love push ups but hate tricep dips so I’ll alternate sets of those back and forth. I can get a more of the latter done if I know I’m able to go back to something I prefer in between sets. Another thing I like to do if I’m doing a lot on the treadmill is to start playing around with the speed and incline. (I know I’ve mentioned this a number of times but it really works if you’re prone to boredom on there!) If you find yourself having a hard time staying focused mentally, try taking a walk break but crank up the incline to 10. Walking briskly uphill will challenge different muscles than a steady jog on a flat surface. Try switching back and forth between the two every couple of minutes to keep your mind occupied and you may find the time passing quicker than usual. You can do this same tactic on the elliptical or stationary bike as well. Push the resistance to the max for a couple of minutes before coming back to “easy” mode. You’ll challenge your body, burn more calories and maybe even be able to work out longer.
Remember, exercising doesn’t have to be a chore. The more you mix things up and keep it interesting the more rewarding it will be. Of course, yesterday I used yard work as my workout- an actual chore. Hey, that counts too!
*Photo by DrJimiGlide and Usodesita.
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