Fitness Plateau: Tips to Recharge your Routine

You can avoid hitting an exercise plateau by learning to listen to and challenging your body. Your exercise routine should be improving. As your body adapts to the increased demands, you should respond by gradually increasing the intensity of your exercise. Training this way will help you achieve results over time.

Think Like an Athlete

Athletes do circuit training for strength, endurance and load. This method has proven to be a very effective way to control the development of the body. In fact, anyone can benefit from circuit training and adjusting their workouts every few months. Each exercise cycle should be based on your response to exercise.

Our body reacts differently to new practices. Generally speaking, you can start to see some changes after 6 to 8 weeks of following a plan. When you first start exercising, the physical changes you experience and signs of physical improvement are often noticeable. As you get healthier, knowing when to change the challenges you face can be a little harder to understand.

Few indicators that your current routine might be in need of a boost:

It looks easy

Sometimes the once difficult process is no longer challenging. If you think you can complete the motions without much effort, it’s time to increase the difficulty level.

Tip: If it’s only been a few weeks since you started a new routine, increase the difficulty by adding equal amounts. This will give you the opportunity to do small exercises that develop the muscles in your body. It will keep you focused during your daily work.

You did not increase your heart rate

If your heart rate is high and you feel short of breath on the treadmill or cardio machine – but your heart rate seems steady in recent days and you’re voluntarily talking about your exercise – this is a sign that your heart condition is getting better. You need to step up the challenge to push yourself and burn more calories.

Tip: Use long periods of aerobic exercise to increase endurance. Increase speed or incline to increase strength and burn more calories.

Safety Guidelines: Monitor your heart rate and ensure it is within safe guidelines for your age and current fitness level. Your overall goal should be to push yourself to improve, but not too quickly or too hard. Most cardio equipment has a chart to help you understand the correct heart rate for your age and goals.

Weights are Too Light

If you are lifting weights during exercise and the weight feels too light, you need to increase the weight you use. Lifting light weights and working out at high intensity is not good for your body.

Tip: Choose a weight you can do 10-12 repetitions with while maintaining good form. The last 3 to 4 reps should feel like a contest. I like to follow a simple rule: “Do not gain more than 10% weight every 3 to 4 weeks.” Repetition is important for cognitive and muscle development, so choose the right weight when you first start. You can then increase the intensity according to your needs.

You are Bored

If your workout is boring you, it’s time to change it. It’s hard enough to stay calm and stick to your original plan. If you’re afraid to exercise or can’t wait to finish it, you may have gotten off the train.

Tips: Try a new fitness class to get new ideas. Choose exercises that challenge your mind and keep you focused. Exercises that work two or more muscle groups simultaneously or require you to combine movement patterns will help relieve stress. Generally speaking, fitness programs will only fail if you stop. Try to improve your results by listening to your body and knowing when it needs to change.