How Often Should You Change Your Workout ?

Finding motivation to work out can be a challenge. Once you start seeing results, it can give you that extra inspiration to keep going. But what happens when you suddenly  stop seeing progress?  You can get discouraged and stop working out completely. What has happened is you have hit a fitness plateau and it is time for you to switch up your workout routine. 

When you consistently workout, your body can become accustomed to your workout. Your body reacts to workouts as a new stressor and causes your body to change and adapt to that stressor. Once your body adapts to your workout, it no longer sees it as a stressor, therefore your body stops adapting and you will stop seeing results.

If you have been doing the same workout for a while, it not only becomes less stimulating mentally, it can also become less physically challenging  By changing up your workout on a regular basis, you challenge your body in new ways and keep it interesting.

It is suggested that you should switch up your workout routine every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the type of workout you are doing. This will allow you to challenge your body again so you can see results.

There are many ways to switch up your workout. You can change the frequency,  the intensity, the length of your workout, or just switch it up completely and change the type of workouts you are doing.

For instance, if you always jog on the treadmill, switch to the elliptical, bike or rowing machine. If you take workout classes, try step class, body sculpting or spin class. If you lift weights, change body parts, number of repetitions, type of exercises and weight. There is a lot of good information in the form of books or online sites.  In addition, a good personal  trainer can help you customize a workout for you particular needs. So, don’t get discouraged when you stop seeing progress or results in your fitness routine. Change it up, keep it fresh and continue to see results!