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When it comes to improving your physical fitness, coaches, health experts, and seasoned fitness enthusiasts all come up with one word over and over again: consistency. In fact, as a fitness writer who talks to health experts almost every day, the most common advice I hear is that sticking to an exercise routine is the absolute key to making progress.
Therefore, I followed a strict exercise program meticulously for many years. i am committed to Comprehensive fitness workoutusually on the same day at the same time, four times a week, with almost no absences in more than three years. It worked. I am stronger and fitter than ever, regularly hit personal bests, and experience those coveted post-workout endorphins. I am very disciplined about my daily life and motivation is not even necessary in most cases. I exercise because it’s just about feeling good in my body and mind—that’s non-negotiable.
Then one day, I woke up and I really didn’t want to go to the gym. Usually, I force myself to go there, but when I do, I find myself bored with my usual workouts and craving something new. I started trying different types of exercise – Reformer PilatesFor example, yoga and tennis – I realized I’d rather do something other than my usual CrossFit workout.
So, this is what I did. I canceled my expensive gym membership and instead signed up for the ClassPass app, which uses a points system that allows you to attend a bunch of different studios. This allowed me to explore new ways to exercise, and I also purchased a cheap membership to a local gym so I could keep up with some workouts strength training – for my self and my muscle health.
One year later, my workouts are more varied than ever. There is no standard weekly amount of exercise. I might strength train on Monday and take a reformer Pilates class on Tuesday and do some gentle exercise Yoga Tennis on Wednesdays, Thursdays, long bike rides on the weekends.
As well as making myself a very good candidate to create a fitness remix for Craig David 7 daysa hybrid workout routine that makes me enjoy working out more than ever. I rarely struggle with motivation, and I find almost every workout exciting because I know it’s the only thing I’m going to do that week, so making time to do it rarely becomes a drag.
Changing my daily habits also means I can really listen to and respond to how my body is feeling on a daily and weekly basis. If I wake up and feel low on energy, I usually skip a planned strength workout and switch to something easier like yoga. weeks – usually with The stages of my menstrual cycle – I do a lot of high-impact moves that other people I might not do at all.
I still prioritize resistance training at least twice a week, whether it’s weight lifting, Pilates, or home training. That’s because Strength training is essential for long-term health And to reduce the risk of various diseases, I hope to increase the chances of being able to continue exercising for as long as possible without pain or difficulty.
While I’m not following a specific plan like I used to, I don’t think my strength or fitness has decreased. Granted, I probably won’t be able to deadlift like I used to because I’m not testing my one-rep max on a regular basis. But I can still squat with a fair amount of weight on the bar, and other aspects of my fitness have improved, like my flexibility, stability, and balance. Trying lots of different activities also means I’m more adaptable, and I’ve noticed this has a very positive impact on my cardiovascular health. Other than that, my schedule is very flexible. Despite my lack of self-discipline, I still find myself exercising most of the time.
Another thing that prioritizing variety in my training program has taught me is the joy of trying new things. Over the past year, I’ve participated in workouts and sports I never would have considered. From jiu-jitsu to gymnastics and aerobics, I always make time in my schedule for new activities, even if I know I’m not good at them or don’t plan on trying them again. This has changed the way I exercise and has helped me see exercise as a way to have fun, which I think myself and many others can lose when we become so rigid in our exercise routines.
Why is consistency considered key to exercise?
The reason consistent exercise is important is that, as you probably know, you can’t get a six-pack after one workout or become a marathon runner after just a week of running. Developing your strength and fitness takes time and effort. If you have specific goals, whether performance or appearance-based, it may make sense to stick with the same activities to achieve those goals.
The most popular method of building strength is called progressive overload, which involves doing the same movements regularly and increasing the intensity over time. This is one reason why consistent planning is considered so important for building strength.
Senior Lecturer in Exercise and Exercise Science, Sheffield Hallam University, Strength Training Expert Dr. Lee Bell Explain that consistency is important for athletes and people with specific goals. “We’re striking a delicate balance between consistency, impatience and monotony,” explains Bell.
He added: “We don’t want to treat training too much like entertainment, where every training session is completely different, because we don’t allow the ability to optimize these neural adaptations and the progression we want to see from training.”
These adaptations and progressions can be skill-based, such as increasing your one-rep max, or physique-based, such as increasing your overall muscle mass. If you have specific goals like this, a consistent training plan may be important.
What are the benefits of adding variety to your exercise routine?
If your main purpose of exercising is to maintain or improve your strength or conditioning, but you’re not too strict about your specific goals, a varied training plan may actually be more beneficial. “I think it’s a smart way to train,” Bell said. “Unless you’re an athlete at the top of your game and you’re pursuing very, very specific adaptations and transferring that into the game […] I choose variety every time. “
In fact, there are many benefits to a varied workout, not least of which is enjoyment. One of the best things about adding variety to your daily routine is that it will keep you motivated, which is one of the most common reasons why most people struggle to exercise regularly.
“Changing the status quo can have a certain rejuvenating effect,” Bell said. “If we work with someone who trains very, very hard and does the same thing over and over again, eventually they will Burnout Monotony and apathy are important signs of burnout. “
Contrary to what many people believe, you don’t have to lift weights specifically to build muscle mass, either. Variety can help here, too. Bell believes the average person doesn’t need to strength train regularly to see improvements in muscle mass.
“For most people, we can improve by training once a week,” he said. The NHS recommends resistance training twice a week, and Bell agrees that two to three resistance training sessions are more beneficial, adding: “Training twice a week will definitely improve your performance. In the worst-case scenario, you’ll be able to maintain your existing strength.”
A varied exercise routine can also help improve your overall health, thereby improving your overall long-term health. “If we limit ourselves to a very limited number of reps, then we’re missing out on a lot of important things,” Bell says. “If all we do is lift weights in the gym, we’re not necessarily going to get the cardiovascular benefits. If all we’re doing is running, we’re not necessarily going to get muscular strength.”
Personally, I worry that changing my exercise routine too much might cause me to get injured. But Bell says the opposite is true, as doing the same type of exercise regularly — especially when strength training — can be harmful.
“If all we did was load the muscles and connective tissue with the same range of motion […] “We end up getting injuries from overuse,” he said. Adding variety to your daily routine can help you build strength in a range of different muscles and ensure you avoid repeating movements too often.
Why treating exercise like play can help you improve
Adding variety to my exercise routine helps me embrace movement in a fun way, just like I did as a kid. Darryl Edwards is an exercise physiologist and the founder of Exercise Physiology Movement Original gameplaythat’s all about keeping your inner child in mind when exercising.
“Too many people associate sport with guilt and drudgery. But when you introduce games, you rediscover freedom,” he told us independent. “Think of dancing on the dance floor at a wedding versus doing a set of 10 burpees – one triggers powerful brain chemistry associated with happiness, the other is more of a responsibility.”
Edwards encourages people to think about how to add an element of play to their workout routines, saying variety is crucial to this. “The brain craves novelty, and the release of feel-good hormones keeps you motivated,” he explains. He adds: “Movement variety is like nutritional diversity for the body. Think of a nutrition plate – different colors, different flavours, with different benefits for the body and mind. We should also think about an exercise plate – different movements provide nutrients for different systems.”
Edwards believes that joy is crucial to a sustainable exercise routine, and that methods bred purely from discipline are not good for our brains or bodies. “Excitement shouldn’t feel like a luxury—it should feel like fuel for physical activity,” he says.
Exercise is good for you, no matter what form it takes
Creating a varied exercise plan has helped me enjoy exercise more than ever. But I also know that I have the time, budget, and general physical fitness level to accommodate this, but it may not be for everyone. That being said, you don’t have to do something new every day or buy expensive classes to experience the benefits of variety in your exercise routine. Simply taking the pressure off and being open to exploring what works for you can help.
“Most people are not meeting the minimum exercise recommendations anyway, and if we take a very regimented, very strict and very narrow approach to exercise [..] And then eventually people say, ‘This isn’t for me,'” Bell said.
Although you may see people on social media getting up at 5am to prepare for a marathon, or Herox Their part-time job, you don’t need to train like an athlete to stay fit and healthy. I’m by no means the strongest guy in the gym, the most flexible in yoga class, or the best tennis player on the court – but I’m healthy and fit. I absolutely love working out and have a healthy relationship with it. The fact that I have more choices about the types of exercises I do and when I exercise is crucial.
“Having that ownership is motivation in itself,” Bell said. I totally agree. Now I may not always be doing the same form of exercise, but I’m always exercising in a way that I enjoy, and that’s what matters.
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