When your days are busy, it’s easy to fall into a rut and stick to the most familiar activities. If you want to continue improving your level of fitness, it’s important to switch up your workout routine.

Whether it’s cardio, strength training, yoga or dance, too much of any one activity can prevent you from advancing in your workouts. Regardless of intensity, eventually, you could end up injured or stuck at a plateau.

Both your brain and your body reap the benefits of variety, especially when it comes to exercise. Here’s why:

Prevents boredom

When you’re doing the same thing repeatedly, you dull your experience and exercise become less exciting and enjoyable. Try tweaking your routine with a new fitness class or taking up a new activity to add some spice to an otherwise average sweat sesh. 

Activates new muscles

If you focus exclusively on one sport or activity, you’re probably engaging the same muscle groups over and over. When only certain muscles are strong and toned, your body may begin to favour those muscles, making your other muscles weaker and increasing the chance of injuries.

The best approach to an overall fit physique is to do a little bit of everything. That way, all of your muscles are strong, and the impact of activity is evenly distributed.

Prevent overuse injuries

If you do the same activity repeatedly, you may eventually suffer from a repetitive strain injury. This type of injury is often the result of recurring motion like running, throwing, the swinging of a bat or racket, kicking or punching.

The best way to prevent a repetitive strain injury is to mix up your activities and give overused ligaments, joints, and muscles the chance to rest and recover. If you are injured, a fitness professional like a personal trainer or physiotherapist can help you choose exercises that activate different areas of the body, so you can remain active during your recovery without provoking further injury.

Get past the weight-loss plateau

Doing the same type of exercise repeatedly over a long period allows your body to adapt to the activity and the intensity. Once your body acclimates to exercise, you will burn fewer calories, and your fitness level is less likely to change.

You need to challenge your body to continue progressing. If you adjust your workout to be progressively more difficult, your body will have to work harder to adapt, meaning you’ll burn more calories and activate new muscles.

If you can’t do this, try this:

  • Running: If you’re suffering from joint pain or shin splints, swap running for lower impact cardio like cycling or the elliptical. Both machines provide a great cardio workout, but with much less impact on the joints.
  • Strength training: If you’re finding that free weights are putting a little too much pressure on your joints, try TRX, plyometrics and bodyweight training. These activities can be used to activate the same muscles, but are much less damaging to joints and tissues. Plus, they ignite your core to help stabilize the body and can also offer a bit of flexibility training.

If you’re suffering from an overuse injury, sore muscles and joints or would like to switch up your fitness routine, talk to one of our personal trainers. They can help you find workout options that won't aggravate your pains or injuries, while still allowing you to be active and fit.