The change in seasons is a great opportunity to shake up your fitness routine while committing to your best self and hitting that reset button. Summer is the time of the year we’re most likely to take time to relax, which can mean a less strict schedule with more socializing, lounging, and getting away. Let’s just note here that there’s nothing wrong with that! Slowing down is an important part of any fitness journey, but if you’re ready to ramp it back up, there’s no better time than fall. So check in with yourself, assess your current fitness level, and make movement fun again by trying something new. Here are a few reasons to turn off that autopilot feeling:
Engage Your Mind
We already know that exercise and learning new skills are both directly linked to a healthier, better-functioning brain, so trying a new workout is basically a double whammy. Building strength, endurance, flexibility, and muscle does require regularity, so you don’t have to switch it up every time you hit the gym, but consider adding a new activity to your routine once or twice a month to keep your brain on its toes.
Challenge Your Body + Prevent Injuries
New activities keep your body on its toes too. When you do the same workout all the time, your body becomes very efficient at doing it. That means you’ll eventually burn fewer calories doing the same amount of exercise. When you challenge your body in new ways it has to work harder to adjust to new movements. Doing the same workout time and time again can also lead to injury from overuse, so mixing it up gives your muscles, joints, and ligaments a break to rest and recover.
Increase Duration + Volume
Those were the results of a 2013 study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research where participants were provided with either two or 10 pieces of resistance training equipment. Researchers found the group with more options spent 18% more time exercising, did nearly 44% more repetitions, and even though participants worked out longer and harder, they reported nearly the same level of exertion as those who broke less of a sweat.
Beat Boredom
The participants with more equipment in that study we just talked about also told researchers they enjoyed their workout more than those with fewer options. Variety is the spice of life, so if you find yourself counting down the seconds left in your current workout, grab that shaker.
Feel Good
It’s not always easy to step out of your comfort zone, which is why it often feels so good afterward. The best part? Even if you don’t necessarily come away loving the new workout you just tried, you’re likely to leave with a sense of accomplishment simply because you gave it a shot.
Let’s Try it Together
We’re encouraging you to try something new because we’re committed to building community around here. New activities lead to exposure to new people and finding people to work out with has been proven to boost the efficacy of regular exercise.
When we talk about meeting new people, we don’t just mean other members, our fitness team is here to motivate you to move more and laugh just as much! Get to know us and what we’re all about by giving our HWX classes a try (NEW fall schedule drops 9/12) or signing up for a drop-in teamTRAINING session… we’ve got ALL your workouts covered.
