When it comes to exercise, most people can be divided into two categories. Some people like to combine different types of exercise: do high-intensity interval training on the first day, run on the second day, and do aerobics on the third day. Others have workouts that look the sa

When it comes to exercise, most people can be divided into two categories. Some people like to combine different forms of exercise: high-intensity interval training on the first day, running on the second day, and doing aerobics on the third day. Others have workouts that look the same on the surface—indoor cycling, weightlifting, yoga day after day. However, is it really good to do the same exercises every time you exercise?

While there are benefits to both approaches, most fitness experts believe that those who are attracted to various types of exercise get the real rewards of exercise.

Research supports the fact that exercise that challenges the body in new ways over time is most beneficial. However, some of the most popular forms of exercise, such as road racing, rowing, and spinning, require exercisers to perform workouts that look roughly the same every day.

So, is it good to do the same exercise? The answer is complicated, so we’re going to dig deeper.

Can you do the same aerobic exercise every time?

If you participate in indoor spinning classes three days a week, or train for a half marathon, you will definitely reap the benefits of regular aerobic exercise, such as improving heart health, increasing your maximum oxygen uptake, and improving the performance of your lower limb muscles. Burn more calories.

There's nothing inherently bad about getting into repetitive exercise, especially if you enjoy some form of exercise. Research shows that enjoyment is one of the main reasons people keep exercising. Once people identify a sport they enjoy, it is difficult for them to give up exercising for personal reasons, just like an avid runner who never misses a daily training session.

In addition, a certain degree of repeated exercise is a necessary process for mastering new skills. If your goal is to do something better, it must be repeated. After all, no one runs a marathon without repeatedly training long-distance running . The only problem with doing the same exercise all the time?

The human body is a master of adaptability. Whatever the body is asked to do repeatedly, it gradually becomes very efficient. After several months, while exercisers continue to experience psychological benefits, they are not necessarily physical. In other words, even if a certain exercise can burn a lot of calories, if done repeatedly, the calorie consumption effect is not necessarily stronger than walking. How to change

?

To prevent plateauing and continue to improve endurance, mix in a variety of aerobic workouts so you're not doing the same workout every day.

The simplest way to do it is to follow the "F.I.T.T." law (the four capital letters stand for frequency, intensity, time and type) and perform one of the following steps every week.

First, increase the frequency of exercise. For example, if you ride a stationary bike three days a week, increase it to four times a week, making sure you have one full day a week for recovery.

Then, increase the intensity. Training intensity is most accurately measured by heart rate. For example, if you've been exercising at 70% of your maximum heart rate (MHR), increase it to 75% to 80%. While a heart rate monitor comes in handy here, you can also determine your target heart rate with simple math:

1. Subtract your age from 220 to determine your MHR; for example, if you are 30 years old, your maximum heart rate would be 190 beats /point.

2. Multiply this number by 0.7 to determine the lower limit of the target area, and then multiply by 0.85 (85%) to determine the upper limit of the target area.

3. To determine the number of beats per minute (BPM) during exercise, measure the pulse on the inside of the wrist, near the thumb. Use the tips of your thumb and index finger to gently apply pressure on the blood vessel. Count the number of beats in 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to get the number of beats per minute.

Next, extend the duration of your workout. If you've been exercising for 30 minutes at a time, add another 5 or 10 minutes.

Finally, try replacing your usual aerobic workout with a different type of exercise. This helps build strength in different muscle groups, improves endurance, reduces the risk of overuse, and ultimately reduces the likelihood of injury. For example, instead of always riding a spinning bike, try a completely different sport like running, swimming, or step aerobics .

Can I do the same strength training every day?

Strength training enthusiasts seem to have to follow a fixed routine every time they enter the gym. The advantage of this is that strength training needs to be repeated over a period of time to be effective. In fact, if you're new to strength training, there are huge benefits to doing the same exercises consistently.

This is because, during the first 4 to 6 weeks, the improvements you experience are primarily neurological—the brain is learning how to most efficiently recruit muscles to complete these movements. However, this doesn't mean you should do the same exercise every day. Doing the same strength training will not cause muscle mass to increase.

Only by persisting in strength training for 12 to 16 weeks can significant growth in muscle strength and size be achieved, but it varies between people and training intensity. This is why some people want to give up when they see in the mirror that they have not made significant progress after a month of training.

If you adopt a strength training program, it will take at least 12 weeks to see results. But after that, as your body adjusts to your training routine, you'll need to change your regimen to continue reaping the benefits. How to change

?

First, change the movements of your strength training. The intensity and volume of training must be repeated to build strength, but the movements chosen can be different. For example, you can improve the strength of your lower body muscle groups by doing squats, deadlifts, and leg presses. While all of these require muscles to work in very similar ways, they stimulate the nervous system differently. This means: Don't do the same strength training moves every day.

While there are many moves (from push-ups to bench presses) used to build chest muscles, that doesn't mean one move is better than others. In fact, it's a better strategy to regularly change up your exercises so that you're working the muscles from a slightly different angle, which can help improve muscle adaptation and promote growth over time.

Another way to vary your strength training routine is to perform repetitive exercises while varying the intensity (weight) and volume (reps and sets) from time to time.

For example, if you strength train on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you could do heavy weights and low reps on Monday, moderate weights and reps on Wednesday, and light weights and high reps on Friday. . Sports scientists at Colorado College in the United States have found that this is an effective way to build muscle strength and is more beneficial than doing the exact same movements over and over again. ■