We know what you’re thinking: What if I like doing only one thing? Let’s start by saying that we, as fitness enthusiasts, believe that any movement towards improving your wellness is amazing in our book. That being said, if you enjoy jogging, weight lifting, or yoga, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the potential to allow the three of them to compliment each other.
Here are 5 reasons why you should add variety to your workout!
Adaptation is the Enemy
In everyday life, we often use the word ‘adaptation’ as a positive meaning against the word ‘resistance’. This is true everywhere except in fitness. Your body, being the incredible machine it is, needs resistance to defy its own limitations and grow healthier. When you want to lose weight or grow muscles, you need equipment like weights, bands, bars, or even your own body weight to challenge your body to grow its muscles and use its energy to match the resistance you’re throwing at it. What you might not know is, your body adapts to these resistances and eventually it will stop perceiving them as challenging. The more you repeat the same moves, the less effort your body makes to pull them off.
Adaptation is the Enemy
In everyday life, we often use the word ‘adaptation’ as a positive meaning against the word ‘resistance’. This is true everywhere except in fitness. Your body, being the incredible machine it is, needs resistance to defy its own limitations and grow healthier. When you want to lose weight or grow muscles, you need equipment like weights, bands, bars, or even your own body weight to challenge your body to grow its muscles and use its energy to match the resistance you’re throwing at it. What you might not know is, your body adapts to these resistances and eventually it will stop perceiving them as challenging. The more you repeat the same moves, the less effort your body makes to pull them off.
Predictability Diminishes Motivation
Sticking to a workout schedule is not easy. You need constant pushes to get you to even start your workout everyday. Whether you realize it or not, repetition plays a big role in needing to convince yourself to follow your routine. Would you rather play a video game over and over again at the exact same level with the exact same sequence? Or would you prefer to play a video game with progressive levels and new sequences and instructions at every round? Which of these two do you think you would be more motivated to play? Knowing exactly how your workout session is going to go will diminish your motivation to better yourself.
Predictability Diminishes Motivation
Sticking to a workout schedule is not easy. You need constant pushes to get you to even start your workout everyday. Whether you realize it or not, repetition plays a big role in needing to convince yourself to follow your routine. Would you rather play a video game over and over again at the exact same level with the exact same sequence? Or would you prefer to play a video game with progressive levels and new sequences and instructions at every round? Which of these two do you think you would be more motivated to play? Knowing exactly how your workout session is going to go will diminish your motivation to better yourself.
Risking a Plateau
The term ‘plateau’ is usually used in fitness to define the situation when your body stops progressing because it adapted to the exercises you’ve been doing. Your body wouldn’t move backward, but it wouldn’t move forward either. As mentioned before, your body learns with repetition and therefore exerts less effort. Soon, the purpose behind your workout will become solely focused on maintaining the point you have reached, but not progressing further.
Risking a Plateau
The term ‘plateau’ is usually used in fitness to define the situation when your body stops progressing because it adapted to the exercises you’ve been doing. Your body wouldn’t move backward, but it wouldn’t move forward either. As mentioned before, your body learns with repetition and therefore exerts less effort. Soon, the purpose behind your workout will become solely focused on maintaining the point you have reached, but not progressing further.
Promote Adherence
With new ways, different methods, and interesting challenges, comes a drive to keep moving forward. When you wake up in the morning excited to see what’s installed for you today in your workout plan, you wouldn’t be able to get out of bed fast enough. Excitement can be fueled by any changes; maybe you love the songs played during today’s session or class, or you enjoy the exercises. Whatever it is, every new day comes with a new push forward so you can keep up your progress despite anything standing in your way.
Promote Adherence
With new ways, different methods, and interesting challenges, comes a drive to keep moving forward. When you wake up in the morning excited to see what’s installed for you today in your workout plan, you wouldn’t be able to get out of bed fast enough. Excitement can be fueled by any changes; maybe you love the songs played during today’s session or class, or you enjoy the exercises. Whatever it is, every new day comes with a new push forward so you can keep up your progress despite anything standing in your way.
Surprise Yourself
Let’s say you decided to add variety by increasing the weights you use, or by adding distance to your regular jogging path, you have introduced a positive change, but you know you are capable of so much more. You are excelling in boxing class and you can now do 3 different types of squats, but did you know that yoga can actually improve your boxing form and your ability to squat even lower? In addition, boxing and squats promote flexibility and certain strengths which help with yoga poses. A variety in the types of workout you do compliment each other so you can achieve your best potential in every part of your weekly routine!
Surprise Yourself
Let’s say you decided to add variety by increasing the weights you use, or by adding distance to your regular jogging path, you have introduced a positive change, but you know you are capable of so much more. You are excelling in boxing class and you can now do 3 different types of squats, but did you know that yoga can actually improve your boxing form and your ability to squat even lower? In addition, boxing and squats promote flexibility and certain strengths which help with yoga poses. A variety in the types of workout you do compliment each other so you can achieve your best potential in every part of your weekly routine!
Now that we have convinced you of the importance of mixing up your workout routine, the question remains: how are you going to mix it up? Luckily, we have a full schedule of live group classes ranging from intensive bootcamps, steadfast HIITs, or exciting dance fitness classes. Check out our live group classes schedule and book your spot now!
