Why You Should Diversify Your Fitness Activities

Do you do the same training program day after day? After a while, your muscles get used to it and look forward to the same exercise. Over a period of 6 to 8 weeks, they adapt and become more efficient at performing those same exercises. Consequently, you end up not burning as many calories as you did when you started your routine. This is known as reaching a plateau.

To break a plateau, make a curve with your body; change your routine. Always keep your body guessing what you expect it to do next. Changing routines regularly prevents your muscles from “fixing” and therefore helps you burn the maximum amount of calories. Make sure your training activities include aerobic, strength, flexibility, core, and balance exercises.

Aerobic

Cardio training increases your heart rate, makes you breathe faster, and generally uses large muscle groups. Because your blood circulates faster and you breathe faster, more oxygen reaches your muscles. Activities include jogging, running, swimming, and biking.

Force

Strength training can include anything from using weight machines to lifting free weights to doing exercises that only use your own body weight, such as pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups or sit-ups.
If you are only doing weight training, be sure to switch to machines or weights every few weeks to prevent your body from adjusting to your body weight. With free weights and machines, you can continually add weight and challenge your muscles.

Flexibility

The problem with many exercise routines is that they don’t get your muscles through a full range of motion. Consequently, not all muscles in a particular group are exercised equally. This can lead to imbalance and an increased risk of injury. Part of your routine should include dynamic stretching before exercising and static stretching afterward.

Center

To lift heavier weights safely, you need to have a good foundation and that means doing exercises that strengthen your back and abdomen along with your legs. Good options are crunches, yoga, and weight machines that target the core muscles.

Balance exercises

Of the five, this is the most overlooked. Most training routines do not include activities that improve or maintain your balance. A great way to work on balance is by practicing yoga. Many of the poses used objective balance. What you don’t want to happen is suffer a fall caused by a bad balance. This can suspend your fitness goal while you rehab.

Diversifying your routine is the key to keeping your body operating at an optimal level and preventing it from stabilizing. Make sure your routines include some exercises from each of the five areas.