Diversify When You Exercise

I'm a big believer in cross-training, and its benefits are continuously touted in the health and fitness industry as well as reinforced by my experiences. It's never good to focus too much on one thing, but this is especially true when it comes to exercise. The more you do one type of exercise, the more your body adapts to it and the benefits diminish. As I've said before, a well-rounded exercise program should contain cardio, strength training and flexibility training in order to keep bringing results and to prevent injury.

The futility of overdoing one activity was pointed out to me recently when I asked my Cardio Muscle class teacher--who is also a personal trainer--why I don't feel any hungrier on days when I run 9 miles as I am on days when I run 5 miles. She pointed out that after a certain point during an exercise session, the body becomes very efficient at burning calories and doesn't blow through them they way it did at the beginning. So there's no real weight-loss benefit to running 9 miles vs. 5 miles since you won't be able to burn enough extra calories to make a real difference. (Cardiovascular training is a different story; but I'm just talking about weight loss here.) My teacher said she'd rather see me switch to a different activity--like running stairs or weight training--rather than run those extra miles so that I reduce my likelihood of burnout and injury.

Her information goes hand-in-hand with the results of recent studies about interval training, which support short bursts of intense activity inside of less-intense activity. The studies show you'll lose more weight, burn more fat and have more stamina if you add interval training to your workout routine. A friend showed me a valuable article on this subject (http://www.beachbody.com/product/368.do?code=NEWS_368_ARTICLE1).

It all boils down to common sense: If you want to see change, you have to change what you do. So when you reach those weight-loss plateaus (and you will), try something different. Add a new fruit or vegetable to your diet, try a new exercise activity that works your body in a different way, add some stair climbs or uphill sprints to your run. It'll keep your interest level up and help you keep seeing results.

A REQUEST TO MY READERS...If you read this blog and like it, please register as a follower so you'll get email updates about my posts automatically. I'd like to know how many folks out there are reading the blog, and I'd love your feedback as well. Thanks!