Are You a Fitness Omnivore?

Running, Weight Lifting, Swimming, Biking… Do you have a favorite activity or workout you regularly default to? Have you done this for years?

It’s okay to admit it—even I have go-to workouts that I know are easy because I’ve done them a thousand times. Every now and then I opt for them.

It’s great to have workouts and activities that you become proficient in but if you’re continually doing the same thing over and over with no results and find your inspiration waning it might be time to expand your exercise repertoire and here’s why:

Plateaus, weight gain, sluggishness, and stress occur when you repeat an activity for so long that it is no longer stimulating to your body and mind. This leads to a severe drop in motivation and a vicious tug of war between loathing exercise but wanting to be fit and healthy can develop…unfortunately, the loathing typically wins out.

Fortunately, it’s easy to become a fitness omnivore—enjoying a variety of activities and styles of working out to keep your mind and body challenged and in peak condition.

From Cross Fit, Circuit Training, and Boot Camps to Yoga and Pilates the Fitness world is full of options to keep every participant constantly stimulated.

The key to avoiding plateau, boredom, and injury is proper and seasonal planning. This is how athletes train and I can bet there’s not too many people who wouldn’t want to be mistaken for an athlete.

Periodization is the term used to describe the type of cyclical training programs that athletes follow in order to achieve peak competitive performance. In my practice, I have developed a type of periodization that helps the general population find enjoyment and results year round by incorporating functional ways to build strength, stamina, and mobility.

By seeing each season as an opportunity to try a new way of moving, you are challenged to become proficient in new skills, exercises, and methods of training during a set period of time. Diversity in programming and movement patterns are critical to building strong, fit, and healthy bodies.

A major benefit of being a Fitness Omnivore is quite simply, being able to move athletically and without restriction. The better you can move the more likely you are to have less fat, more muscle, better cardio, and impressive flexibility.

In a society of desk workers, re-gaining and maintaining the ability to move correctly becomes vital to our basic health.

Sitting at desks in front of computers causes muscle imbalances, poor posture, and, subsequently, bad movement patterns during exercise. As a result, you won’t get as much out of your workouts and can injure yourself.

Here’s a Simple Overview of an Annual Fitness Plan I developed for one of my clients here in Denver. I developed specific programming to help her achieve her goals during each season:

 

Winter (Dec-Feb):

3x week Total Body Weight Training

1x week Private Yoga session with me

1x week outdoor activity (skiing, snowshoeing, etc.)

 

Spring (March-May):

4x week Split Upper Body & Lower Body Weight Training

1x week Yoga class

1x week running

 

Summer (June-Aug):

2x week Total Body Workouts: Primarily Body Weight Training

1x week 20-minute Cardio Intervals & 20-minute Private Yoga

2x week outdoor activity: biking, hiking, tennis, golf, swimming, soccer, running, etc.

 

Fall (Sept-Nov):

3x week Mixed Media Total Body Weight Training

2x week Interval Cardio or Cardio Circuit

1x week yoga class

 

Take some time to develop a plan for your fitness routine through out the year—you’ll look forward to the changes and be ecstatic with the results!

Written By Missi Holt