How to know when it's time to change your workout

When you started a regular exercise program, whether to lose weight or improve your overall health, your enthusiasm and motivation were high. Even though exercise wasn't the most exciting activity you had experienced, you began feeling better and seeing results from your hard  You managed to get yourself out of bed early,and stick to your plan without much effort.  But you all know what happens slowly the novelty begins to wear off.  You may hit the snooze button, the kids didn't sleep good the list goes on and on.  Then before you realize it you missed an entire week of working out. Is this common?  Could something else be getting in the way of you getting your workouts in?  The answer is YES! But the good news is you can learn to identify the signs it's time to change what you are doing.  This way keeping you on track for your weight loss goals.

 1. Your workout bores you

You used to look forward to jumping on the treadmill or the exercise bike.  So why do you end up dreading your workout each day?  It's very easy to get stuck in a routine for to long after doing it for so long.  So that means its time to add variety to your workout.  For example if you enjoy doing weight training take your weights outside, adding in speed intervals, bring a friend along and add great conversation, or down load different music.  If all of that is not enough then maybe it's time to change and find a new workout. Change can help keep your workouts fun and interesting, giving you something to look forward to.  

 

 2. Your workout isn't giving you results like it once did

Sometimes when someone who does the same workouts all the time ends up hitting a wall or plateau rather then the person that changes his workouts.  Your body is the same as you, if you get board with the same workout of course your body is going to do the same.  So is it time for change? Or maybe just a small amount of variety, this means adding in hills, challenge your currant time for running, different resistance etc.  You want to keep your body guessing what is next and with doing so you WILL see results.

 

 

3. Your workout leaves you more tired and sore than before you started

Exercise without a dough should leave you with more energy then when you started not feeling like you need to go back to bed.  If you are feeling overly tired or extra sore you maybe over doing it.  Your body NEEDS time to recover and in that recovery time is rest.  It's that down time that will give you the strength and endurance your body needs to rebuild and recover.  If you don't give your body enough time to recover you will become weaker rather then stronger.  DON'T OVER TRAIN!  If you have been over training it maybe time to take a small break and start back slowly.  Evaluate what you were doing and make changes to prevent this from happing again. 

 

 

4. Your workout is no longer challenging you

 

If you always walk 3 miles or ran 5 miles and it becomes easier as time goes on then its time to evaluate.  If your workout don't challenge you enough like they once did it maybe time.  Wearing a heart rate monitor is a great tool to use when putting your fitness first that way you can ensure you are hitting the targeted heart rate that you want to be in.  By challenging your body will for sure only improve your fitness and help you to reach your fitness goals.  By doing so it will give you a sense of accomplishment as you become stronger.  Always set goals for yourself in fitness, take a piece of paper and write down what your fitness goals are.  Get a plan in place on how you will reach those goals.  Big goals little goals write them down!  If you would like more tips on fitness send me a message and we will chat.