This topic was thrown out to a handful of fitness professionals and clients. And after consideration of the feedback, this article might be renamed “How to Get to the Point of Wanting to Stick to a Workout Schedule”. The simple, almost cliché answer is to workout consistently until it becomes a habit because the majority of living organisms are creatures of habit. On the other hand, the real world solution is to increase cross training activities which will combat any bouts with muscle memory and monotonous routines. After doing anything repetitiously, the body will develop its own set of favorite exercises which sometimes don’t correspond with the goals the mind has set.
This phenomenon is played out daily on America’s highways and byways when drivers think about everything except driving. Reason being that the body pretty much has memorized the commuting route and the driver finds him/herself arriving at their destination without remembering the trip. Cross Training helps you stick to a workout schedule because it’s the equivalent of taking a slightly different commuting route daily but arriving at the same location. Your body can never anticipate what’s coming next which forces the mind and body to stay fully engaged resulting in optimal fitness.
Adherence to a varied new workout schedule improves dramatically with assistance and guidance. Fitness professionals will hold you accountable to preset goals. And with the task/burden of thinking about what to do next removed, you’ll only have to focus on doing what’s next. The increased quantity of focused energy leads to higher quality results.
Results are the last, but definitely not the least factor in determining if a schedule is maintained. And isn’t that the number one reason why you workout? RESULTS! They’re the bottom line in the fitness equation and sure to be the most motivating factor for both the client and instructor to continue progress. Keeping things fun, exciting, and fresh with someone objectively assisting will ensure the desired outcomes regardless of individual goals, body types or personality.
Tags: cross-training, fitness