Advancedsp.co.za Variety clearly the spice of life

Doing the same thing over and over is a total waste of time and is the height of boredom. Quite frankly I can’t think of anything worse. I am not saying for one minute you need to change your exercise routine, gym or sport every day but I am saying, build a three-month game plan that will keep you mentally and physically stimulated.

You are probably thinking: “Well, I am a running and all I need to do is run more to get better for my marathon?” The same thought process goes through a competitive swimmer’s mind.

A fit runner or fit swimmer doesn’t need another lap or more pool time. What they need to do is to balance and diverse their routine to keep them hungry for more.

Feed a kid a T-bone steak every morning and every day for a few months and he is going to hate T-bones. The thought of eating his favourite meal again will cause anxiety and internal stress. This stress will manifest over time until you change the way you do things. This analogy applies to continuous monotonous routine.

What both these types of athletes need is a sports science injury prevention, strength and core development programme which will add more value in reducing times and keeping them mentally sane from burnout.

Besides top runners and top swimmers, what can the general population focus on other than another park run or gym session?

Here are some top things to keep you pushing your goals and having fun. Shorter Classes for the modern fitness individual

People just don’t have time anymore especially if you have a family that you are providing for. That is why shorter classes of 44 minutes or less are attended up to 33% more people than longer ones. Professionals have realised that focusing on a proper smart designed programme that maximises your results is far better than sitting on a bike in a gym for one hour.

Group Classes are the way to go 27% of the US population attend at least one or more sessions a week in a 2018 study done by Mindbody. You join a group of like-minded individuals that are more or less on your level to help you through difficult times and motivate you to push harder but most importantly hold you accountable for arriving on time. No one likes to train alone and even if you see a big “buff gym oke” by himself, don’t be fooled into thinking he’s training all by himself. He’s surrounded by mirrors, so to him it looks like he has an entourage checking his every flexed move.

Kickboxing

This is something that every woman should do, not only because it teaches you to defend yourself but because it has a HIIT (high intensity interval training) element to it. It burns fat fast, builds lung capacity, improves mood and self-esteem.