You go to the gym at the same time every day, do the same type of exercises or take the same class and you wind up wondering why you’ve reached a standstill. Does that sound like you? If the answer is yes, you might want to consider changing your routine. Here are some of the signs that could mean you need to make a change in order to make progress.
Your workout bores you
Boredom is the death of all motivation to go to the gym. If your routine is beginning to bore you, it’s the first sign that you need a change in order to keep up the effort you’ve invested so far. Try spicing up your usual routine by taking your workout outside on a sunny day, by putting some new songs on your MP3 player, by asking a friend to join you or, why not, by simply trying a different activity altogether. Change keeps workouts fun and interesting and gives you something new to look forward to with every training session.
You’ve reached a plateau
In most cases, those who choose to do the same activity all the time are more likely to plateau sooner than those who vary their workouts. If you haven’t been noticing any changes in your weight or in the shape of your body lately, blame it on the lack of variety in your training regimen. Adding variety to your workout can be as simple as increasing the speed, distance or adding hills to your route if you’re a jogger. However, you should make some major changes as well every now and again. Without change, your body is less likely to experience continuous growth, because it adapts quickly to every new challenge you face it with.
You feel tired and sore
Workouts should leave you feeling out of breath, but still energized after you’ve cooled down, not rundown. If you are feeling more tired and sore than before, even after taking it easy at the gym, you might be overtraining. Your body needs time to rest and recover. This is its way of telling you it has had enough of your current routine. Give it time to recover and then start over with a different activity that will use other groups of muscles.
When you change your routine after you’ve been training in a linear fashion for a long time, it’s usually best to make the transition slowly. Also, make sure you know how to do the new exercises correctly in order to reap all their benefits. Don’t hesitate to ask an instructor for help – that’s what they’re there for!
