Changing Up Your Exercise Palate

Just like how we don't wear the same clothes everyday, do the same things everyday, or eat the same things everyday, we also should change up our exercise routines, too!

Varied forms of exercise is needed in order to prevent overuse of muscular areas and joints, especially those in the knees and ankles, which are problematic spots for many athletes.  Varied athletic activity also helps prevent boredom and that horrible feeling of dreading your next workout.  Ugh.  That horrible, horrible feeling really brings a person down and creates an overall negative vibration towards something that is good for us.  It forms a preconceived negative vibe that will already be at the next workout even if we didn't think about it directly because working out corresponds directly to the feelings of dread and boredom.  Diversified workouts helps build an overall better and stronger body because now the body as a whole is getting stronger, not just the muscular group you always work.  

Varying your usual routine has more than just those benefits, too!  According to Jessica Matthews, a certified Health Coach and Yoga Instructor of acefittness.org, "... varying your exercise routine can also help you stay physically challenged. Many of the body’s physiological systems (e.g., the muscular systems) adapt to an exercise program within approximately six to eight weeks. Failure to modify your exercise routine will cause you to reach a plateau, as your body will have adapted to the repetitive training stimulus," (Matthews 1).  Keep training difficult!  It helps the body get stronger and happier-- more endorphins, hormones released by the pituitary gland which effects on the body are similar to morphine, will be released!

If you are completely new to exercise, please refer to the post titled Getting Flirty With Working Out! (coming soon!).

To start getting flirty with new workout ideas, try incorporating some new workout moves into your regular routine to establish some familiarity with them.  If you tend to lean towards the cardio path previously in your workouts, remove some cardio days with strength training days, where you can write down an organized list of strength exercises that relate to either working your legs, arms, or back & core.  If you are new to this sort of exercise, please refer to the post titled Creating Your Own Strength Training Routine!  (coming soon!).  If you tend to always use weights and preform weight resistance exercises, start incorporating some cardio into your weekly workout span.  Some common forms of cardio are running, biking or cycling/spinning, using an elliptical, using a step box, and dancing.  If you are new to cardio, please refer to the post titled Creating Your Own Cardio Routine!  (coming soon!).