January 2006

Exercise Ruts

What Worked A Month Ago May Not Work Now

The only difference between a rut and a grave is how deep.  In some way I have to agree with that concept.  Of course routines like daily vitamins and exercise are major contributers to our health and well being.  But what about boredom?  What about challenge?  What about the exercise rut, or plateau of benefit that we hear so much about?

If you lost weight and gained muscle over 2 months by committing to 20 minutes of cardio per day, will you continue to see benefits if you do the same thing for the next two months, or do your results plateau and have you working just as hard for less benefits? 

It is possible to reach a point where you need more challenge.  Here are some ideas to consider if you're looking to increase the health benefits your body gets from your hard work.   Any of these ideas can help you get past the plateau.

You can change the activity, like biking instead of walking. 

You can vary the activity, like adding weight training instead of cardio every other day. 

You can change the duration by walking an extra 10 minutes per day. 

You can change the intensity (walk faster so you cover more gound in the same time). 

This is not intended as medical advice which should be obtained directly from your doctor.