Try something new in the gym today
Today sees the launch of the International Fitness Week powered by Fitness First, with British Olympic and World Cycling champion Victoria Pendleton helping to support.
Everyday Fitness First gyms will be showcasing a different theme to help keep visitors inspired and motivated.
Day one is ‘Try Something New Day’.
If there’s something you’ve never done before – such as spinning, suspension training or a team workout, today is the day to give it a go.
You never know, you could find a new favourite.
So how does the body benefit from trying something new?
Your body is naturally resistant to change and of course, for ease, it prefers to be in a constant state with no change to its environment. This state of stubbornness is referred to in scientific terms as homeostasis, meaning “staying the same”.
The best way to beat this plateau and to ramp of weight loss or increase muscle definition is to shock the body with something new, whether that be a class or series of exercises that target a new area of muscle mass. This shock will literally jolt your system so that it will have no choice but to adapt to the stimulation with new muscle growth.
Whilst it’s tempting to make drastic changes this is not necessary and in fact small changes that confuse your body a bit are the best way to return it to "fat-burning" and "muscle-building" mode.
So how do you try something new?
If you’re a runner why not increase your length/incline on the treadmill this week or add some hills and see what difference it makes.
If strength is your area why not try a spin class for extra cardio bursts or try the new Athletic Fitness gym floor workout and blast your body with high intensity training. Or simply shorten your total workout time and go at a quicker pace.
If you take classes already (yoga, Pilates, etc.) try adding a day of swimming or spinning to up the fat burning ability of the body.
Or if you’re often solo why not try something new and bring a friend along. You never know you may learn something new and feel motivation that you hadn’t realised had disappeared.
Whilst these may not seem drastic enough to produce noticeable results, your body responds to even the slightest bit of change if it’s used to the same routine, day after day. If you feel sore or achy the next day, consider it a sign that your body is responding positively. Remember, every once in awhile, the body needs a little shock so what better time to try it than on ‘Try Something New Day’.
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