When it Comes to Fitness Variety is the Key

You want better quality sleep >> exercise! 

Fight off brain fog >> exercise!

Need to mood booster >> exercise!

You know benefits of making Moving Your Body Daily a top priority in midlife. 

Getting in a fun sweat sessions is a win any day, but how can you really make those daily workouts pack a punch? 

 Switch it up! 

There are a ton of benefits to adding variety to your workout plan, including one of my top ones . . . avoiding injury.

Biggest reason for women plateauing? Doing the same workout over and over.

So how do you structure your weekly workout plan to reduce injury and optimize results?

CROSS-TRAINING!! 

Cross-training can help reduce the risk of injury by allowing your body to use different muscle groups and avoid overtraining one area. 

It helps to keep your workouts exciting, keeping you motivated and interested.  

It helps fight off those fitness plateaus by giving you the variety your body needs to make constant and continued progress.  

Cross-training incorporates several different fitness modalities helping to improve your overall performance as an athlete.   

So instead of 5 days of strength training, you may swap out a day for a cardio session instead, like cycling, running/jogging, or swimming or a low impact workout like yoga or Pilates.  Maybe ditch your long run for a quick HIIT workout in the gym.  

The primary purpose of incorporating more variety into your training is to help you hit your goals by hitting muscles that you aren't using in your typical workouts. 

Here’s the nice thing about using different training methods to create a well-rounded program . . . There's no one size fits all!  

How you design your weekly fitness plan should be based on what you enjoy doing, aligns with your goals, and is matched with your current fitness level.   

No matter if you incorporate cross-training into your plan - whether you are a master athlete or just an everyday recreational exerciser - it will help make for a more well-rounded individual, enhancing your fitness level and overall performance. 

When you’re looking to create a routine that includes all the things your body needs after 45 you want a well-rounded workout routine that includes strength training, cardiovascular training (like HIIT, running, swimming, cycling, or rowing), balance and flexibility training (like yoga and Pilates), AND includes recovery like stretching and foam rolling. 

Here’s an example of what a week may look like: 

Monday: strength training (upper or lower body) 

Tuesday: strength training (upper or lower but allow time between training back-to-back areas)

Wednesday: low-impact like barre, Yoga, Pilates, easy walk, bike ride, or swimming 

Thursday: quick 20 min HIIT followed by foam rolling 

Friday: Full-body strength training or resistance training

Saturday: Steady cardio (long run or bike ride) 

Sunday: Rest  (stretching, foam rolling, easy pace walk) 

Are you using variety in your weekly fitness plan?  Feel free to reach out to me if you need help designing something that aligns with your training goals, fitness level, and schedule.