Many fitness sources suggest scheduling your workouts so that you are concentrating on specific body parts each day. This type of concentration allows you to target specific muscles and to rest others. You might work on legs one day and arms the next. There are pros and cons to handling your workout schedule this way. A study by Susan Malone, PhD, lead author and an assistant professor of nursing at New York University, found that variety in fitness routines helped participants in the study to have better overall fitness.
Variety in workouts as opposed to just alternating body parts helps you to:
- Develop new routines that ultimately can carry you through physical changes as you age or your circumstances change. (Keep in mind the disruption of the 2020 pandemic and what that did to gym workouts.) Different fitness routines can also help you overcome plateaus in fitness or weight-loss.
- Changing it up can help you engage your mind, as well as different muscles and joints. Learning new skills can lead to results that will not occur if you do the same routine over-and-over again.
- It can help to prevent “overuse” injuries. Alternating a running workout with a Yoga flow can aid the recovery process.
One way to approach variety is to try full-body workouts instead of body part workouts. These can help you to burn more fat and create a better balance in muscle development. You might try these if you really prefer cardio to weight-lifting, if you are a beginner, or if you only train a few days a week. You may also want to try this if you get bored with traditional weight-lifting routines. These types of workouts can replace your day-to-day workout if you are someone who loves to run but needs to diversify to keep your body functioning at its peak.
Ultimately the need for variety in fitness routines may depend on your own personality. What makes you feel good, and what works for you is what you should focus on. If you find that you need help varying your routine but want to stick to the essentials of it, then consult a professional who can help you to change it up just enough that you are receiving the benefits that will keep you happy and fit.
