Spice Up Your Workout Routine: Why Variety Is Important

This week I’m featuring a guest post discussing why variety is so incredibly important when it comes to training. I’m an avid believer that to make fitness a part of your lifestyle – you need to switch things up every now and then…

I’m sure you’ve experienced boredom with the same fitness routine – you start slacking off, you don’t see the same type of results as before, and you slowly start to think about working out as a chore.

This is the quickest route to losing interest and giving up exercise altogether. Still, there is a simple solution to all of this and it won’t cost you anything. The cure stands in diversity, in changing the routine, improving it, ensuring your muscles and brain are challenged and working harder than before.

But why does this happen? Why is variety so important in our training routine?

The body is continuously adapting

 The cool thing about our bodies is that they adapt to every new situation. There is a principle in physiology, called the SAID principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands), that states the body will adapt until it reaches the imposed demands we place on it.

This means that a task will stay challenging as long as there is room for change and adaptation. However, when the demands are met, you no longer see the need for pursuing the path. This is when boredom settles in; but you can also see it as a signal that it’s time to move on to different types of exercises.

Plateau phase

 This phase is basically a halt in your progress regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or build muscle. You stop achieving the same progress and nothing seems to put you on an upward current.

The plateau happens because your body becomes used to specific exercises and your muscles have developed as much as they can on said regime – it’s no longer challenging. This is the obvious time to change your routine (or diet, according to the situation) to increase the physical demands on your body and muscles.

But variety is not necessarily about finding new exercises! A new challenge can be taking up swimming or CrossFit as an addition to your current routine. Or maybe you should switch to training using machines instead of doing exercises that only use body weight.

Make your imposed demands greater and more interesting so the adaptation process will be naturally restarted

 Finally, a bit of diversity in your routine is just as challenging for the brain. Different exercises or taking up a completely new sport keeps the brain engaged, forms new neuronal pathways, and allows you to feel more active and immersed in the activity.

How to spice up your routine  

 The best example of diversity is to build on your current set of skills, but also include a new element.

 For instance, if you’re used to doing exercises at home but you don’t have any machines, you should think about trying a few. A treadmill, a stationary bike, or a concept 2 rowing machine can work wonders when you’re only used to working with dumbbells and a mat; and UK companies such as Hire Fitness give you the chance to use these machines without cluttering your house or breaking the bank account.

If you like working out outside (for example jogging or cycling), you don’t have to give up on an activity you enjoy. Just pick up the pace a bit, or change the route. If you’re used to doing a 2 mile walk every day, mix it up with jogging (5 minutes jogging, 10 minutes walking, and so on).

Another great option is to invite a friend along and challenge each other to push yourself further. Alternatively you can use an app like Strava which allows you to not only track your own performance, but gain an insight into your friends results.

There’s lots of advice online when it comes to training routines. Do your own research to find exercises that will allow you to grow and don’t hesitate to ask the community for help.

Ultimately there’s not a one size fits all solution; the most important thing is that you’re willing to try a new approach. Just remember that growth doesn’t come easy – if you take one step back, be confident that next time you’ll take two steps forward!

A few final words

 Consider your fitness routine as an investment in your health. You would never invest all your money in just one thing, would you? Then why do it with your exercise routine?

Diversity in your training life means better health, better results and less risk of disease. So stay curious and continue building your body for a better life.

Guest post written by Michael Dunlop.

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