What are your signs you need to change your workout? Unless you’ve got a personal trainer, it’s unlikely that anyone will offer advice on your workout or exercise habits, and the signs you need to change your workout can be easy to miss. Doing the wrong workout can lead to boredom, frustration or even injury, and completely put you off working out. Here’s some of the top signs you need to mix up your workout.
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1. You’re Always Sore…
One of the key signs you need to change your workout is that you spend more time feeling sore than you do feeling fine. Your muscles need time to recover from exercise, and soreness can quickly set in after back-to-back workouts. Make like the professionals, and follow every hard workout with two easy ones. It’ll give your muscles more time to heal. If you are still feeling sore, you’ve probably not got enough rest days factored in.
2. You’re Bored…
It’s no wonder that half of new exercisers quite within three to six months of starting a new exercise regime: workout programs can get boring quickly, and nobody wants to do the same thing over and over again. Avoid boredom by exercising at different times of the day, or with different people, or trying a new gym class. If you run, try exploring new routes, or setting a big goal to work towards.
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3. You’re Gaining Weight…
Found that your trousers are feeling a bit tight? There’s nothing more discouraging that realizing that you’ve actually put weight on, rather than lost it. And while everyone knows that muscle weighs more than fat, it doesn’t usually make your clothes tighter. If you’ve found that your wardrobe is starting to feel a little small, it’s worth looking at your eating habits. Exercising does increase your appetite, but there are some nutritional tricks that will help you feel fuller without consuming too many more calories. A high fiber breakfast that includes lean protein is essential, as is a protein and carb combo within 30 minutes of your workout – I love Greek yoghurt with strawberries!
4. You Just Don’t Get round to It…
You’ve probably got a million and one excuses: a big work project, a scary deadline, the gym’s too full, it’s raining, you’re too busy. But if you’re skipping workouts on a regular basis, something needs to change. Try moving the focus away from losing weight, and instead focusing on a target such as running 5k, or a physical reward like looking great in a gorgeous new dress. Some people find working towards a charity event is great emotional motivation, so give that a try, too. Once you’ve motivated yourself right, you’ll be much less likely to skip workouts.
5. You Don’t Break a Sweat…
Okay, so everyone dreams of those days when you don’t need to try anymore, and working out is easy. But if you don’t push yourself further, you’ll soon stop breaking a sweat, and you won’t see any further benefit. To get results, you need to get outside your comfort zone. Try joining a group doing a harder level of your sport, or try a whole new sport, like Zumba or Pilates.
6. You’re Injured, Again…
Chronic injuries suck. If the same, or similar, injuries are killing off your exercise regime, it’s time to get them checked out. See a doctor to work out the cause of the pain, and what you can do to heal it. For some injuries, like tennis elbow, stretching the muscles can help, and using the right-sized racket and a good backhand technique will prevent the injury from reoccurring.
7. You’ve Become the Incredible Hulk…
Yep, one of the biggest signs you need to change your workout is if you’ve become angry, irritable or toss and turn at night. Overtraining can cause an elevated heart rate, and lead to these horrid symptoms. Try keeping a training diary, including your mental state at the time of the workout, the number of sets or reps, any weights lifted, how far you ran, and anything specific to your goal. You should soon be able to identify which workout programs or frequencies are causing the problems, and add more rest time to your schedule.
If you recognize any of these signs you need to change your workout, consider setting yourself new targets (making sure they are achievable, to keep you motivated!) and trying new sports. It’s a great way to avoid boredom, and give your body and mind a new challenge. Have you got any tips on switching up your workout? I’d love to hear them!
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