The Daily SWEAT: Your guide to fitness, daily workouts, and other useful info

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Totoket Times Column 4/7/12

Mixing It Up

When meeting new clients for the first time, I hear a pretty consistent gripe when it comes to exercise, "I just get bored doing the same old thing at the gym." While familiar exercises, such as bicep curls and crunches, have their place in an exercise routine, they're often relied upon too heavily by people looking to stay active. However, instead of reaching their fitness goals, they get stuck in a workout rut, plateau, and eventually, stop working out consistently.

Adding variety to your workout plan will not only keep you motivated, but it will also lead to continuous results and a far more enjoyable view of exercise as a whole. When guiding my clients, I always stress the importance of muscle confusion and training like an athlete, and thus, my workouts are always varied, mixing full body exercises with core strengthening and sprint intervals to ensure their success. Many of my clients also utilize our classes, ranging from Spinning to Boxing to Tabata Blast, as a way to cross train and challenge themselves.

So, instead of sticking with what is already familiar, how about mixing it up a bit and truly pushing yourself to your limit? Challenge a friend to a minute of pushups, go for a run instead of a walk, or maybe sign up and start training for your first sprint triathlon. Whatever you choose, just make sure that you're challenging yourself! Good luck!

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