Diversifying your Workout Routine
By Merritt Sullivan
Do you ever feel in a rut or that you’re bored of exercise? Whether you walk, run, row, lift, spin, do Pilates or yoga - all forms of exercise are enormously beneficial to physical and mental health. While all forms of exercise are great, it is especially advantageous to change your workout routine occasionally. There are many benefits that I have learned through experience and research about diversifying your workout routine, here is what I have found:
Challenging Yourself
Switching up your normal routine might be intimidating, but it can challenge other muscles that may be neglected. It also engages various parts of the brain to change up your normal activity types. Physical balance exercises challenge the brain to adapt and respond to changing conditions, which promotes neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. This can lead to improvements in cognitive function, memory, and learning.
Reduced Risk of Injury
This one seems intuitive - but overworking the same muscles is not good for bone/joint health long term. For instance, I love running, but I also make sure to switch it up with cycling or rowing to limit the impact on my knees.
It Keeps Exercise Exciting!
Switching up your routine weekly, monthly, or whenever works for your goals and schedule is also a great way to keep exercise interesting. “Fitness plateaus” often come when the same routine is repeated long-term resulting in both mental and muscle boredom. Also, many articles suggest that those who vary their routine are also more motivated to work out!
Increase in Strength and Performance
By introducing other forms of exercise, you will likely increase the strength and endurance of a wider variety of muscles contributing to an increase in overall fitness. I enjoy lifting, but I also like to do hot yoga occasionally to maintain flexibility and work on different muscle groups.
These are just a few of the many benefits that come with changing up your workout routine. While it can be intimidating to use weights or do yoga for the first time, I recommend taking a group fitness class or encouraging a friend to do it with you! Any and all methods of movement are valuable to your physical and mental well-being!
