The cave men used their physical strength to provide for themselves and their families.
They had to work extremely hard. The human body adapts quickly to stresses
placed upon it. This was a very good characteristic for our ancestors. Not so
great for us stuck in a modern society of computers and Pop Tarts. Few
people have to eke out an existence by the sweat of their brow which is one of
the causes of an increase in obesity, heart problems, and many different health
challenges.
Because
our bodies are so amazing we have to work harder and challenge ourselves
differently to maintain optimum health and vigor. If we want to increase our
fitness and health we have to be willing to push ourselves and add some spice
to our workout.
Variety
is key when you're trying to lose weight, get past a plateau, or become more
fit. If you do the same cardio or weight routine over and over it will become
easy. This is a good thing because it means you're getting stronger, but it
also means that you are burning less calories because your body is accustomed
to the demands placed upon it.
You
can fix this problem by upping the intensity, duration, and speed of your
workout or by changing the type of workout you do, known as cross-training.
Cross-training recruits different muscle groups, challenges your body in a new
way, and will help you burn more calories.
How
can you cross-train? If you always bike, try swimming or running. If you love
the elliptical machine, try something fun like Zumba. If you faithfully lift weights, sample a yoga or Pilates class. If you workout at home
and need some variety, rent a new workout video, borrow one from the library or
plan a girl’s night out at the gym or hiking a nearby canyon.
Variety
really is the spice of exercise. My challenge to you is to try something
different this week. Mine isn't exactly new but I'd like to start incorporating
more yoga. Please share which new activity you're going to try.
