Should I Mix Up My Workouts?

I have clients that come to One Love Fit Club in Chino Hills, CA, who ask, “Why do you provide so many different types of exercise? Is it important to mix up my workouts?” The answer is simple. Yes, it’s important and there are many good reasons to add variety to your exercise program. First, variety helps prevent boredom. If you’re going to the gym and just going through the motions because you’ve done the workout a thousand times, you’re not doing yourself a favor. You’ll actually be less motivated and not work as hard as you should to get the maximum benefits.

Plateauing can occur when you do the same workout repeatedly.

If you have been losing weight and reaching your goals, then suddenly all the progress stopped, it could be that you plateaued. When you don’t change your workout, your body becomes more efficient, meaning it burns fewer calories. That can cause a stall in your weight loss progress, which is a plateau. Varying your workout will help you get the maximum benefit from every hour you spend at the gym.

You need all types of workouts to be truly healthy.

Varying your workout should include all types of exercises. You need flexibility training, strength training, endurance training and training for balance. If you have hours of cardio, but neglect strength training, you won’t build more muscle tissue. In fact, it can actually slow the progress of weight loss, by burning lean muscle tissue. Muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue does, so the more you have, the more calories you’ll burn.

Varying your workout ensures you work all muscles in all directions.

Few workouts, except with activities like kickboxing, work muscles on all planes or provide a total body workout. Most exercises focus on specific muscle groups, but don’t always work all the muscles in the group. By switching your workout or spending a few days doing alternative exercise, you’ll work all the muscles in your body on a variety of planes. It’s one reason kickboxing is so good. You don’t continuously move the same muscles.

• Not only does varying your workout prevent boredom, it can make working out fun. People love kickboxing and often forget they’re really exercising, since it’s a sport with loads of challenge.
• Doing the same workout repeatedly can result in injuries. Overuse injuries can be prevented by mixing things up and avoiding using the same muscles, joints and ligaments repeatedly.
• Learning a new exercise can actually boost brain health. It helps prevent memory loss, keeps neurons firing better and develops new neural paths.
• If you’re used to working out alone or running by yourself, maybe it’s time to get a little more social. Switching up your workout to include activities where you make new friends, adds a new aspect to fitness and can boost your motivation.

For more information, contact us today at One Love Fit Club