Ever feel like you’re stuck in a rut with the same old workout routine? Sure, it’s great that you’re making it to the gym three times a week, but what benefits do you see by sticking to the same exercise each session? You may be maintaining your weight or shape, but you’re not improving anything. When it comes to fitness, change is king.
How To Know If It’s Time For A Change
Because the human body adapts quickly to exercise stimuli, switching it up is crucial. While doing the same routine day after day will keep you healthy (after all, any exercise is better than no exercise), you won’t experience continuous progress without change. How do you know when your regimen needs refreshing? Watch for the following three signals to determine what your body’s trying to tell you:
Change isn’t easy, which is why so many people hesitate to try new exercises. But the benefits far outweigh the risks. For the best results, ease into change; don’t do too much of a new exercise at once, especially one you’ve never done before.
It’s also beneficial to ask for help from a professional. At the Downtown Athletic Club, we offer personal training as well as group classes, both of which are great avenues for finding the help and support you need to stay on track with your fitness goals.
How To Know If It’s Time For A Change
Because the human body adapts quickly to exercise stimuli, switching it up is crucial. While doing the same routine day after day will keep you healthy (after all, any exercise is better than no exercise), you won’t experience continuous progress without change. How do you know when your regimen needs refreshing? Watch for the following three signals to determine what your body’s trying to tell you:
-
Your body remains the same. This is the most obvious sign that you’re not progressing in your fitness goals. Many people complain of hitting a weight-loss plateau, but what they don’t realize is that they’ve lost all the weight they can with the same exercises. In order for your body to continue its fat loss, introduce new workouts that challenge different muscle groups.
-
You get bored. While being bored with your routine isn’t directly tied to physical progress, it can certainly hinder you from reaching goals. If your routine doesn’t excite you and leave you happily anticipating your next session, then you’re more likely to give up altogether – especially if you’ve hit a plateau (see No. 1). Keep things interesting by taking a new dance class at the gym, working out with a partner, or sprinting instead of jogging.
-
You’re sore and tired. A bit of soreness is to be expected after an intense workout, and you’ll certainly be tired. That said, if you’re experiencing extreme soreness and fatigue, it could mean you’re pushing your body too hard. Overtraining can lead to burnout or injury, keeping you out of the game and resulting in a halt on your progress. To prevent this, change up your regimen to include lighter workouts or more days of recovery between workout sessions.
Change isn’t easy, which is why so many people hesitate to try new exercises. But the benefits far outweigh the risks. For the best results, ease into change; don’t do too much of a new exercise at once, especially one you’ve never done before.
It’s also beneficial to ask for help from a professional. At the Downtown Athletic Club, we offer personal training as well as group classes, both of which are great avenues for finding the help and support you need to stay on track with your fitness goals.
RSS Feed
