Exercise routines can be a hard habit to develop, but once in place it can also become...well...routine. You'll find yourself doing the same exercises on the same equipment in the same order all the time. That not only gets boring, your muscles adapt and then you hit a plateau. And sometimes that's enough to make people stop, but that's not what is needed. At this point, change is the name of the game. You've got to keep your muscles guessing....hmmm....what's she (or he) going to do this time? By throwing off the same ol', same ol'...it gets the body moving again, losing weight and building muscle.
I do always start with at least 10 minutes of aerobic, but if you find yourself 'stuck' on the treadmill...do the elliptical instead, or do the stair stepper, or one of the bicycles. One of the fun things that I have tried, and I really like it is putting the elliptical in reverse mode. There's a challenge! If you typically work the machines, do free weights instead. Always do those bicep curls first? Do them at the end. I also like experimenting with different angles. Coming at an exercise from a different direction really helps to work the muscle in a beneficial way. I know I've 'made up' some exercises that I have no name for by doing this. Change the angle of your feet....try close together, or spread wide....toes pointed out vs. toes pointed in. Underhand grip? Try overhand if it's possible to work it that way. I know I've received some strange stares from folks probably wondering what the heck I'm trying to do with that piece of equipment....I can only imagine what they say to themselves regarding it, but that's ok.
You can also change up your diet to assist breaking thru a plateau as well. Even if you don't count calories, you can adjust how much you eat....one day eat two slices of bread instead of one. Drink 1/2 cup of milk instead of a cup. Eat more....eat less on alternating days. (I don't suggest going below 1200 calories/day). Switch around your macronutrients (carbs, proteins, fats). Eat more proteins one day, more carbs the next. Anything that steps outside the 'norm' of your routine will keep your body guessing, and get you out of your slump. I eat 5-6 small meals a day. Try these things, and let me know how it works for ya!
