The HEALTH
CONNECTION
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Prevent Plateaus By Deb Smith , Personal Trainer Owner of F . A . T . E . Fitness for Adults in Transition - Energize !
Here ’ s some
ways to keep
our health
and fitness
activities
fresh .
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Have you been exercising for several months , eating healthy , but cannot seem to lose those extra inches ? You may be camping out in “ Plateauville ”. For long-term success , you need to learn how to overcome training plateaus . Ideally , you want to always be going through a momentum phase in which you try something new and “ shock ” your muscles , forcing them to make gains . Always remember variety is the spice of life . To keep seeing results , you need to present yourself with new challenges . Your body is extremely smart and will adapt . Keep it on its toes by changing your routine periodically , increasing your intensity , and pushing to the next level !
Here are some ways to spice up your weekly workouts :
1 Increase your walking time . If you usually walk 30 minutes a day , add 10 minutes to your next walk .
2 Increase your walking speed .
If it usually takes you 30 minutes to walk 2 miles , challenge yourself to walk two miles in 28 minutes --- you will have cut one minute off each mile and worked harder !
34 conquer .
On your next bike ride , select two new hills to
Add one interval workout during the week – Interval
training intersperses work-efforts with recovery cycles . Instead of working in a sustained duration period , interval exercises work you at a different percentage of your target heart rate by increasing the intensity of the movement . Both the work and recovery intervals occur at intensity that is still considered within your aerobic zone . Here is an example of an interval : Warm up for five minutes of easy walking . Follow that by two minutes of “ huff and puff ” walking . A five-minute recovery walk follows , and it is then time for another “ huff and
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puff ” two-minute period , followed by a five-minute recovery walk . Repeat the cycle 4 times
5 Anaerobic Training : Anaerobic is the quickburst , short , get-you-totally-outof-breath type of exercise that uses oxygen faster than the body can replenish it . We can successfully add anaerobic fitness training to our fitness program , but it will require a slow , progressive buildup period . There are many examples of anaerobic training . You should always include a five minute warm up period before attempting the following
examples :
a Sprint 15-30 seconds interspersed with 2-3 minutes of walking ( repeat the cycle 4 to 8 times depending
on your fitness level )
b Power walk 15-30 seconds , interspersed with walking 2-3 minutes ( repeat the cycle 4 to 8 times depending
on your fitness level ) Power plyometric moves such as lunges , jumping
c jacks , kicks , high knees for 15-30 seconds , with walking or easy jog for 2-3 minutes . ( repeat the cycle 4 to 8 times depending on your fitness level )
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6 Rotate your strength training routine to reduce muscle memory . Muscle memory is a reality , and it can cause some exercises to lose their impact after months of repetition , unless they are changed periodically . If you always work your upper body on Monday and your lower body on Wednesday – rotate that routine or better yet , mix both upper and lower and split the exercises up on both days .
7 If you have been attending the same type of aerobic class every day during the week , skip one day and go play tennis with a friend . Tennis is an intensely active sport --- especially for those of us who play infrequently --- we spend a fair amount of time chasing a “ pesky green ball ” that our racquet cannot seem to connect with .
So , we need to keep our workouts interesting and fresh . Boredom and complacency can unravel our best-laid plans . AND , the most important challenge of all ---
DON ’ T FORGET TO HAVE FUN ! |