A lot of people make the mistake of developing a very specific exercise routine and sticking to it rigidly for as long as possible. This may seem like a smart move – after all, consistency in a schedule is a very good way to get something done, and this approach is certainly something newcomers to fitness should do. But you could actually be depriving yourself of a lot of fitness potential if you aren’t willing to move away from your regular routine and try new things.
Your routine or regime should be protean. No, that’s not a misspelling of protein, though I’m sure there’s a clever pun to be made with the two somewhere. If something is protean, that means it can take on many different forms, and can do so very easily. It’s something that can serve multiple purposes at will. And if your regime is too rigid and unchanging, then it’s simply not going to be serving as many functions for you as possible. Not only that, but the unchanging nature of your regime could actually end up negatively affecting your work.
Why trying new things is important
There are two things you want to consider here; problems that many fitness geeks end up running into at some point or another. The first problem is the “fitness plateau”. To plateau means to reach a stable level; generally, you don’t move beyond that level – if anything, you begin to drop off. It’s reaching a point from which you can’t really advance – and if you don’t try new things in your fitness regime, then this will happen to you. Your body eventually adapts to the exercise you do – which means it will be less affected by it. While this can be good in terms of reduced fatigue, it also means you’ll get to a point where you’re not getting any faster or stronger.
This is perhaps a long-term concern. Another thing you have to worry about is more short-term, something that people often feel the effects of after a session or two. I’m talking about overuse injuries, one of the most common injuries in the game. The fact is that if you’re working a particular muscle over and over, then you’re running the risk of injuring that muscle through overwork. When you switch things up within a session, you give some muscles a chance to relax while you put more beneficial strain on other muscles.
Bringing in a professional
One of the best ways of introducing new things to your regime can be working with a personal trainer. A lot of people massively underestimate just how useful a personal trainer can be for pretty much every facet of your fitness goals. The thing to remember is that they’re, well, experts. They’ve been where you are and they tend to know a thing or two about plateaus and injuries. A personal trainer will encourage you to try new things, and can aid in ensuring your in the right physical and mental state to do those things.
So how do you go about hiring a personal trainer? First of all, you need to ensure that they actually have the experience and credentials! Personal trainers need to have completed a personal training course, such as the ones you can find at Origym. The better the institution at which they learned their skills, the better they’re likely to be at what they do. Speaking of courses, perhaps learning to be a personal trainer yourself might end up giving up the variety you want from your regime! In any case, make sure you can find reviews of any given personal trainer; you should usually be able to find some online.
Using the gym to your advantage
If you have a gym membership, then you should have plenty of opportunity to try out new things. After all, there’s bound to be a bunch of equipment in there that you’ve never even touched. You may feel a little self-conscious, or worry that you’ll end up injuring yourself. But remember: nothing ventured, nothing gained! (This is actually another reason that a personal trainer is good to have on your side – they can help introduce new exercise and equipment safely.)
Of course, gyms aren’t always about the equipment. Many gyms also have classes and certain programs that you can join. Whether it be martial arts, swimming, yoga (don’t underestimate it!), tennis, or whatever else your gym happens to be offering, classes can be one of the best ways of introducing new elements into your regime, as well as having fun and meeting new people.
