Why switch up your workout routine?
It’s not uncommon for regular exercisers to switch up their full workout routines every 6-8 weeks. Doing so prevents muscle groups from being neglected and allows you to challenge your body in new ways. Adding variety to your workout routine can improve your muscle tone and shape to build a healthier and more balanced physique.
To avoid the dreaded plateau many exercisers will increase their reps, weights, distances, and speed, instead of switching to a new routine. This can cause overuse injury which is when too much strain is put on your muscles. Another reason why switching up your routine completely isn’t such a bad idea.
As the weather begins to get colder around this time of year, it’s the perfect time for outdoor exercisers to completely change their workout routines and try some new indoor workouts. Common indoor exercises include HIIT, dancing, cycling, and strength training.
Why do injuries occur when switching workout routines?
New workout routines often include activating completely new muscle groups and whilst this is great for keeping you in shape, it means you need to build up your strength over time. Forgetting to warm up and take it easy when beginning a new exercise regime are among some of the biggest causes of muscle injury.
Some of the best practices to avoid injury when switching up your workout routine include:
Sports Massage
Having a course of sports massage therapy will decrease muscle tightness and increase your range of movement, putting you at a much lower risk of strain and injury. The varied pressure and deep tissue massage techniques used during a sports massage increase your blood flow and oxygen to prevent muscles from becoming fatigued. Prevention is better than the injury which is why we suggest sports massage to our most active clients. A sports massage is great for targeting specific muscle groups and a deep tissue massage is great if you’re looking for a full-body massage.
We offer deep tissue or sports massage in both our Leeds and Wakefield clinics visit our Sports Massage Leeds or Deep Tissue Massage Leeds page for more information.
Warm up & Cool Down
Sports massage isn’t the only way to ensure those muscles remain relaxed. Warming up and cooling down before and after every single workout, will help to stretch and loosen up your body, to prevent tight muscles and injury. Slowly easing into and exiting your exercise can improve your athletic performance by preparing your technique, coordination, and skill.
Take it easy
When starting a new workout routine, it’s sometimes difficult to remember to take it easy. Even if you’re extremely physically active, you may be using a completely different muscle group in your new workout routine so it’s always best to slow down and lower the intensity of your workout when trying out any new form of exercise. It also helps to learn the proper techniques to avoid injury which is another reason for beginners to stay at a low intensity and build up strength in their newly activated muscles.