Posted on: August 19, 2008
Burnout Busters
Variety is the spice of any healthy workout-life that keeps boredom at bay and the calories burning
By Deb Acord
CTW Features
Once upon a time, Molly Cue was all about spinning. She discovered the class at her gym and was soon spinning every day – sometimes even twice a day.
“I felt like I was overworking the same muscles, so they were just tired and sore all the time,” says Cue, 38, of Indianapolis. And she found that her fitness level wasn’t translating to any other physical activities she attempted, like jogging.
Eight months later Cue stopped spinning and working out altogether.
Variety is the spice of life, and exercise is no different. According to the American Council on Exercise, San Diego, Calif., one of the top mistakes people make in the gym is finding a routine or physical activity they like and then never changing it. Routine workouts can lead to boredom, plateaus and – worse case scenario – injury or burnout.
Beginning exercisers are most likely to fall into the burnout trap, since they often try to do too much at first, says Michael P. Maina, associate professor of health and human performance at Roanoke College in Salem, Va. They may start out running two miles and then continue bumping up their mileage until they can’t keep up in time or effort.
“These people want to train like it’s a ‘Rocky’ video,” Maina says. Those who increase their workouts to the extreme – in his opinion, spending more than an hour at the gym – are likely overdoing it anyway, or spending too much time talking. Rather than hurrying to ramp up intensity, easing into the workout will keep exercisers consistent and still wanting more.
“Half is better than nothing. Ten minutes is better than no minutes,” he advises. “Take time, do less, but keep leaving it hungry every time and you’ll come back.”
Routine workouts become boring for your brain – and your body. Bodies acclimate to routines quickly and within three workouts have begun to adjust and burn fewer calories, says Natasha Augoustopoulos, a New York City fitness instructor and author of “Citystretch,” (Citystretch Publishing, 2007) a guide to yoga in New York City.
Throwing in something that uses different muscles in different ways is essential, whether it’s increasing the incline, walking backward or turning sideways on a treadmill – joining a class once or twice a week. “You’re going to shock your body in a good way,” Augoustopoulos says. “You’re adding a whole new movement, a whole new routine.”
Attending a class regularly will automatically provide variety, since a certified instructor will often focus on different muscle groups each week. Plus, having people around is often a boost, adds Augoustopoulos.
“People tend to work a little bit harder and a little bit better when they’ve got that group energy,” she says.
Seattle athletic club Zum tries to keep exercise playful and encouraging so members don’t have to worry about burn out. The club even holds frequent member challenges, including a version of the President’s Fitness Challenge, with rewards like free T-shirts to keep people motivated, says Suzie Dashow, general manager.
“[Exercise] gets boring, even if you like it,” she notes.
Beginning exercisers in particular get in the habit of doing the same exercise, especially if it’s one they enjoy, adds Dashow. “We find as a management team, we definitely have to sneak [variety] in for them.”
Dashow finds short-term programs encourage people to change their routine every six weeks. At that point, typically a body has completely adapted to the movement of a certain exercise and has stopped getting benefit from it.
Zum also offers members seasonal training options, such as cardiovascular training and conditioning in the spring, followed by outdoor team sports in the summer and fall and strength training during Seattle’s rainy winter months.
A study at the University of Florida, Gainesville, found that adding variation to an exercise routine increased enjoyment and helped people stick with working out. The group in the study where exercise varied between workouts had fewer participants drop out than the groups required to perform the same exercise at each workout or with no set schedule or regulations.
In addition, the varied exercise participants enjoyed their workouts 20 percent more than the same-exercise participants.
Cue has returned to spinning class, but not manically.
“Now I try to mix it up and not focus on any one type of exercise,” Cue says. “I spin, jog, occasionally swim and do yoga. It feels very balanced. I think my body likes it.”
