Breaking Through An Exercise Rut

My tips on breaking through a fitness funk!

1) Rest! Yes, I know this may seem counterintuitive, but if you are just going through the motions of your exercise routine, you will end up doing yourself more harm than good.  I kept holding myself to the belief that I had to keep going six days a week no matter what, but I was burned out and unmotivated while doing it.  This ain’t good!  Our bodies need time to rest and recover and sometimes just one day a week isn’t enough.  I allowed myself to take a couple of weeks off (that’s right–weeks!) from my intense training schedule so that I could reboot!

Now, I still was active, just with a more moderate plan, and I reduced the number of days I was training per week.  I still got in my physical activity, but it was more moderate, like a long walk outside or some push-ups at home.  There is a fine line between resting and stopping altogether, so find that happy medium.

2) Try Something New! Of course you will get bored doing the same routine day in and day out. And not only will you get bored, but your body will get used to the movements and you will stop seeing results. All that work and no results? No thanks.  I like variety in life and especially in my workouts.  I decided to add some yoga into the mix!  Yoga is a fantastic workout and great for your overall health. Adding this into my routine helped improve my flexibility and the meditative properties definitely help me manage the demands of my daily grind.  So, I encourage you to take that new class or join the running club you’ve been contemplating for months, it may just be the key you need to unlock the plateau prison you’ve been trapped in!

3)Re-focus- Sometimes it’s necessary to take a moment and remember why you started a fitness program in the first place.  Go back to that moment when you decided to put down the bon-bons and pick up the barbells.  Whether it was to compete or to lose some extra pounds or just feel better, there is a reason you decided to up the ante and let your inner Rock come out!

Also remember to look at how far you’ve come and don’t take any stride you make for granted.  I am so guilty of wanting things to happen overnight and it just doesn’t work like that.  I had to start being more patient with myself and my body’s progression.  I started just focusing on the work and know the results will come in due time.