Sheer Balance

by Brett Blumenthal

Getting exercise is important to living a balanced lifestyle…we all get that.  Sometimes, we intuitively understand what kind of exercise works best for us and what doesn’t.  For instance, if you have bad knees, running might not be the best thing for you.  If you have bad coordination, aerobic dance classes might not be so easy.  But how do you know when exercise that doesn’t hurt or doesn’t feel awkward isn’t working?  How do you know if it is time to change up your routine?  Here are some simple ways to know if it is time to make a change:

1. You are Bored: If you do the same things day after day at the gym or for exercise, there is a good chance you will inevitably get bored.  To avoid letting boredom set in, it is important to diversify your workouts.  What you should do: Try to incorporate a few different types of cardio exercises into your week and a few different strength or conditioning workouts in as well.  This should keep things interesting.
2. You Sustain an Injury: Repeating the same exercises all the time can lead to overtraining or overworking certain muscles and joints.  For instance, if you run all the time and don’t incorporate a low-impact cardiovascular workout into your routines, you might overwork your metatarsals or your knees, ultimately causing injury.  What you should do: Keep your workouts varied to help diminish this risk.  Further, find activities that don’t exacerbate joint pain.
3. You Aren’t Seeing Results: If you do the same exercises all the time, your body gets used to them.  For instance, if you do the same type of bicep curls, at the same weight and at the same repetitions all the time, your biceps won’t become stronger.  Similarly, if you do the elliptical trainer every day, you will only be training certain muscles and may be ignoring others.  And believe it or not, if your aerobics instructor does the same routine day after day, your body will adapt.  As a result, your progress stagnates.  What you should do: Cross-training and switching up your routines will help to stimulate your muscles in different ways, keeping them challenged, ultimately resulting in better results.
4. You are Completely Unmotivated: Similarly to boredom, lack of enthusiasm or motivation to exercise is a definite sign that change needs to occur.  What is worse, if you are unmotivated, you might not exercise AT ALL.  What you should do: Find things you love to do.  Don’t settle for the same old same old.  If you love to be on the water, take up kayaking.  If you love to be IN the water, take up swimming.  Make the activities you love your workout.  This will help to keep you motivated.

Have you found anything else that told you your workout needed a change?

Related Topics:

• What is a Balanced Lifestyle?
• The Importance of Diversifying your Workout
• Keeping your Joints Healthy
•  Top 5 Excuses for not Exercising
•  8 Traits of a Bad Aerobics Instructor