Switching up your workout routine not only boosts new muscle growth but also helps keep you in the race for the long run. Let’s face it, we are creatures of habit. Once you find a couple of exercises that you enjoy, it is all too easy to get into a workout groove where you do the same movements over and over. While we all need regular exercise, it is important to remember to switch up your workout routine for optimal results.
Variety Holds Interest
Fitness takes commitment. If you do the same workout every time, you will see fewer results and lose drive. The likelihood of continuing an exercise plan for the long hall is significantly greater when you switch up your workout routine. Simple changes, like adding speed intervals to your regular pace, will leave you feeling invigorated and pumped for the next challenge.
Results All Around
If you are looking for full body results, it is essential to include a variety of exercises that will strengthen muscles that you do not ordinarily use. Even muscles that you do use regularly reach a plateau if you are working them in the same way every time. When it comes to strength training, you can switch it up by changing your weightlifting frequency, the number of sets and reps you do and the amount of weight you use.
Reduced Risk of Injury
Working out the same muscles repetitively over a period of time can also result in muscular imbalances. This creates a higher risk of injury, particularly when taking on a new physical activity that requires the use of the weaker or shortened muscles. Joints movement is also significantly limited: an additional risk for injury. When runners, for example, are quad dominant, the hamstring muscles shorten. As a result, both the weakened hamstring and knee are more vulnerable to injury.
The risk of developing repetitive strain injury can also be avoided by switching up your routine. As it sounds, this type of injury occurs when you do the same motion repetitively for an extended period of time. Overuse of muscles and tendons result in the gradual development of symptoms like pain, stiffness and weakness. Athletes, manual laborers and others who use the same muscles to perform a task on a regular basis, can avoid incurring this type of injury by including exercises that strengthen the stabilizer muscles.
Whether strength training at the gym or hitting the trail, it is important to mix up your workout routine for maximum results. When you work with a personal trainer, coming up with new workout routines will be a struggle of the past. Your trainer will work with you to identify the results you are looking to achieve and develop a versatile exercise plan custom tailored to you.
