Wednesday 21 February 2018

DAY TWENTY-ONE: Mix It Up A Bit!

I'm not sure what you might be doing for this fitness challenge. I've heard things from walking to stairs to biking to plank to kettlebells. This post is about one way to break the monotony of doing the same thing repetitively. The Romans didn't coin the phrase ad nauseum for no reason. Too much of a good thing can make you really sick of it, even if it is something good.

So I'm here to say that you might want to introduce something significantly different into your workout - on purpose! If you're training for the Olympics, disregard this, because your track has been set. For the rest of us, though, we're just out to be active, or maybe we want to do a triathlon for the first time, so we're kind of "training" for it. Excellent!

I'd like to suggest that you periodically introduce some radical variety into your workout every so often. If you're doing kettlebells, for example, try changing the weight/number of reps, so your body doesn't simply go on auto-pilot. I like to have a few different bells in the area, and then slip in a set with a heavier kettlebell for variety. Well, "like" is a stretch, but it keeps my brain engaged and I'm much more conscious of the feelings and sensations - I can feel the resistance working and feel the fatigue set in. If I'm on number 63 of a large set of identical swings, I can get sloppy. Or I stop breathing properly.

Mixing up your workout fights boredom and keeps you tuned in better to your body.

Feel free to mix it up once in awhile. And, be sure to get a good rest! Sleep repairs your body and refreshes your mind.

[Note: I came dangerously close to mixing up my post titles; almost called this one DAY TWENTY. Again. Better go to bed!]

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