INDUSTRY INSIGHT
FITNESS
SPONSORED CONTENT
“Don’t be a Creature of Habit when it comes to Exercise”
BY LISA TROYER
W
e as humans tend to be creatures of
habit and unfortunately that includes
our exercise routines.
We head to the same group fi tness class,
jump on the same cardiovascular machine,
and run the exact same route every time we
put on our running shoes. I believe it was
Albert Einstein that said, “Insanity: doing the
same thing over and over again and expecting
diff erent results.”
When you continue to do the same exact
routines every time you hit the gym your
body will quickly adapt. I tell my clients all of
the time when giving them a challenging
workout that the same workout would feel
much easier if we were to do it again the next
day. I pride myself on never giving someone
the same workout twice. Our bodies are
amazing and they become more effi cient
when they are used to doing something.
Exercise adaptation results in burning fewer
calories even when doing the same amount of
exercise.
The solution is so simple; challenge your
body by doing something it’s not used to. If
you are a runner, try a spinning class. If you
spend most of your time lifting weights, try
circuit training. Your body will have to work
so much harder as it adjusts to new activities,
which means you will burn more calories.
Burning more calories will help you break
through the wall if you have hit a weight-loss
plateau.
This Industry Insight was
written by Lisa Troyer.
Lisa Troyer has been in the
fi tness industry for more than
24 years and is the owner
of Fitness Fanatics in the
Great Southern Shopping
Center. She currently holds
four nationally recognized
fi tness and personal training
certifi cations and can be reached at 412.220.4190, ext.
3 or at fi [email protected]. Check out www.
fi tnessfanaticsinc.com for more great fi tness tips.
22 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Chartiers Valley
Another important reason to mix-up your
exercise routine is to prevent overuse injuries.
You’ve heard the terms runner’s knee, tennis
elbow, Achilles tendonitis, carpal tunnel
syndrome, etc. These are called repetitive strain
injuries and are caused by repetitive motions
of the same joints and/or muscles. If you’ve
experienced any of these injuries, the great news
is that for every one thing you can’t do, there are
100 other activities that you can do that won’t
strain your injured area. You can still stay in
shape while you heal.
For me personally, the best thing about doing
a variety of fi tness activities is that it sure does
keep me from getting bored. The last thing you
want to do is get bored with your workout. You
won’t workout as hard, you’ll be counting the
minutes to fi nish and the next thing you know,
you’ll stop seeing any results and you’ll run the
risk of giving up on your fi tness goals.
We live busy lives and it is so important
to make every exercise minute count. Step
outside of your comfort zone because that is
ultimately where the magic happens. Don’t
ever be afraid of change it will lead you to a
new beginning.