Here’s Why You Need To Include A Variety Of Exercises In Your Workout Routine

Physical exercises are important to stay healthy and fit. And to see the results, you need to work out consistently as well. But has your workout routine been the same over the years? Are you walking the same distance every day, performing the same exercises or using the same gym equipment every day? Then, you’re stuck in a workout rut and it’s time to mix things up and try something new. 

The human body is a brilliant machine that figures out what will be thrown against it. So over time, it becomes more efficient at it and needs less energy to do the same task.“After a certain point, our body gets used to doing similar kinds of exercises. That’s when the number of calories burned during the activity starts reducing as our body adapts itself to all those activities,” says Sakshi Kirpalani, a fitness coach at The Tribe. The activities that once challenged the body, become maintenance routines after a certain time. And if there is no new variation or stimulation, the benefits of your workout regime hit a plateau. So doing a variety of different exercises is necessary for maintaining optimal health and achieving your fitness or weight goals. 

Benefits Of Adding Variety To Your Workout Routine

When you do the same exercises every day, you get stuck in a rut and start losing interest. Boredom is a common reason for an inconsistent workout schedule. So mixing up your training with new forms of exercise helps you stay on track with your workout goals. 

A study at the University of Florida observed that people who modified their workout routine every two weeks were more inclined to enjoy their routine and stick to their program compared to people who had the same routine for several weeks. 

If you are exercising to shed some extra kilos, adding variety to your workout routine is even more crucial. “Once you start doing things out of the comfort zone, the body needs more time and effort to complete the activities which helps increase overall calorie expenditure. So it is important to add new forms of exercises to your routine” suggests Kirpalani. A diverse exercise regime also reduces the risk of exercise-related injuries. Every exercise targets certain muscles in the body. If you keep performing the same one every day, you risk wearing the muscles over time leading to muscle injury. Your exercise routine should therefore be well-rounded to target different areas of the body with some rest days as well to allow your body to recover.

How To Creation Variation In Your Routine To Spice Things Up

There are plenty of ways to ensure your workout regime has enough variations to keep you interested and improve your routine. “Modify your current workout routine by adding different types of functional training or crossfit training exercises in your program. Programme your workout on a weekly basis and set monthly targets to assess your progress instead of just progressively overloading” recommends Kirpalani.

While performing workouts, there should be a mix of exercises to vary the intensity as well as improve your endurance, strength, and cardiovascular health. “Workout should start with a warm-up to activate the muscle group you are going to focus on. Then comes the conditioning phase of those muscles by using circuits of strength, functional training and some core exercises as well. End the session with a reaction-based exercise or HIIT circuits and lastly a cooldown.” advises Kirpalani. 

Most people think that the only way to get in shape is to go to the gym. Yes, lifting weights or doing squats, pushups and planks is great. However, it isn’t the only way to improve fitness. From time to time, you could also try some outdoor workouts like jogging, running, and cycling to avoid monotony. Or else, learn new exercise forms like yoga, pilates, and dancing (Zumba) to set new challenges for your body and make workouts exciting. You may end up making some new friends as well!