So you got into your gym gear, grabbed your gym towel, picked up your car keys…. and promptly sat back on the couch. This is the result of what happens when you are BORED with your exercise routine. How often have you thought – same old thing, different day? Or are you finding that the time commitment of doing that much cardio to lose weight is just getting unrealistic? When these questions start floating into your brain, you know that either a change in routine needs to occurs or you are just simply going to give up because you don’t want more of the same old thing.
Changing up your exercise routine may not be for everyone. I have friends who enjoy the same routine as they prefer their day being far more structured. While I am a fan of structure, I am a slave to variety so I prefer to switch things up. An example of this is swapping a bike ride at the gym for a hike with a friend; or trading in a brisk walk for a beach volleyball session with friends. In doing this, I ensure that I still exercise on my allocated days (in order to reach the recommended minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week) without it feeling burdensome. In fact, it makes me more motivated to exercise as I look forward to those ‘social’ physical activity sessions.
There are also other advantages to a varied exercise regime beyond keeping you motivated. Remember that as you get fitter, the relative intensity of what you are doing has decreased – i.e. it is much easier on the body. Our bodies are very good at adapting so it also becomes more efficient at doing the same exercise – i.e. it uses less energy. So to sustain the weight loss, it is highly advisable to increase the intensity of what you are doing, as well as do something different, to continue to challenge your body.
Additionally, throwing in some resistance training helps to build the skeletal muscles so that your resting metabolism is higher. Fat cells have a good life – they store fat and don’t do much else and therefore require minimal energy to function. However, skeletal muscle cells are actively processing and therefore have a much higher energy demand. So it would only seem logical to increase your skeletal muscle mass to increase your metabolic rate.
Resistance training does not have to be scary – by no means do I advocate for you imitate Arnold Schwarzenegger. An example of how I personally incorporate some resistance training is to add the following sequence to the end of my run: 3 x 10 park bench dips, 3 x 10 push ups, 3×15 lunges and 3 x 15 squats. On other days I opt for a gym class where weights are included. While this regime might sound tame to some, it can be a very good starting point for those who are unaccustomed to resistance training. Getting the basics right can be a pathway to working up to those scary machines at the gym.
Whatever your reason for changing up your exercise regime, just remember to ask yourself the following:
- Am I including both cardio and resistance training?
- Am I doing some form of physical activity at least 3 – 4 days a week?
- Have I considered working on my flexibility/balance?
- Am I enjoying this? If not, what are my other options?
- And of course….AM I BEING SAFE? If you are unsure of what exercises are safe for your condition, or you are simply too scared to jump into the gym without proper guidance, please speak with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. We can provide you with a realistic gym based or home based exercise program so that you can exercise wherever you are comfortable and however your are comfortable.
To find an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, or to simply find out what we do, please go to: www.essa.org.au
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