Often people start to exercise to change their body shape or size. Sometimes they want to improve their function in everyday life and some just want to feel better.

Quite often people will stick to the same exercise routine, with the same repetitions/sets/weights, for months on end. They exercise at the same pace on the treadmill or bike, do the same aerobic classes every week, or walk the dog the same way around the block everyday. Actually, these regular routines may not help to improve fitness. These people aren’t challenging their bodies; they’re often just warming up! The body will only change if it is forced. A body will respond well to physical exertion, and that’s what exercise is (or should be). The body will get fitter, stronger, bigger or smaller when it is forced to adapt. When our body is challenged then it has no choice but to change!

If you want to maintain your current shape and fitness levels then you should perform similar exercises for body parts with medium intensity and volume.

A more progressive program is one where the intensity, duration and the volume varies. This way you are constantly stimulating the body to change and adapt. This is a very effective way of training.

Sometimes we need to vary our fitness training between what we enjoy and what our body needs. Some people never stretch as they find it quite uncomfortable due to their inflexibility. These are the  very people that need to be stretching everyday. Other people love cardio-vascular exercise and will run and run for miles and miles. These type of people hate getting into the gym to do resistance training, the very thing which is vital to strengthen and support their body for the demands of running.

It’s a common belief that following the same routine or program will help you maintain current fitness levels. Often your fitness won’t improve, it may actually deteriorate! Remember, as with everything in life, balance is the key.      

© Kylie Pogson 2006

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