How to Spring-clean your fitness routine
Spring is FINALLY here, which means summer is on its way! As we all go through our Spring cleaning routines in life, whether it be your home, your wardrobe, your office, there is an area often overlooked - have you ever thought of spring cleaning your fitness routine?
Mixing up your routine every now and then can be really beneficial to your physical well being, as well as your mental health! Whilst it might be a little bit scary, reviewing your workouts periodically can help massively with motivation, consistency and actually help you progress further in your fitness journey.
Why should you mix it up?
Ironically, to become better at something specific, repetition is the way to go. For example, to run faster, or lift heavier weights you need to start by running more or lifting more often. However, working out the same muscle groups frequently can easily lead to injury if not given enough time to recover, hampering your progress and development.
Allowing for changes to certain parts of your routine can actually help achieve your goals more efficiently and sustainably. In fact, it is recommended you don’t do the same exercises every single day.
Furthermore, your body can become accustomed to the same movements, so if you are sticking to the same exercises all the time your body actually starts working less and the progress is slower as your body can cope with the exercises more easily.
Change doesn’t need to be drastic, but a few changes here and there every couple of months can really help you move further ahead.
So, how to do it?
Map your goals and your existing routine
First and foremost you need to acknowledge and understand what your fitness goals are - whether vague, such as feeling physically better, or very specific, such as lifting a specific weight on deadlifts - and figure out what steps you need to take to achieve them. For example, if you want to run faster, timing your runs and running more often would be beneficial.
It also helps to have a clear idea of what your routine looks like now, and how consistent it is. It helps to write it down or keep a fitness journal. If you struggle just with keeping a routine, make sure to read our post about building one that works for you.
Regardless of what the fitness goals are, the overarching goal of exercising is to challenge your body to a certain level.
Explore how you can take it further
As the main goal is to challenge yourself, there are a couple of ways we can go about it. Firstly, take the exercises that are already part of your routine, and work out how you could challenge your body a bit further. Is it more reps? Or a heavier weight? Is it a higher incline or a longer distance? You can play with these factors and build on your existing routine to challenge yourself.
You can also consider doing different exercises that target the same general areas but the actual physical exercise is different. For example, if you are used to running three times a week, swapping one day for a different cardio exercise, such as swimming, can help keep things interesting, whilst still targeting your body and lungs as well as alleviating any pressure on your knees.
It is also important to remember that rest is key. Whilst you want to be challenging yourself, giving your body time to recover should be a priority. Want to keep the body moving? Try incorporating yoga into your weekly routine! Yoga can help stretch your sore muscles, improve flexibility and help manage - this is the perfect time to grab a new mat!
How will you spring clean your routine?
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