Making exercise and fitness a part of your life is a great thing. The muscle tone, increased bone density, strength, balance, reduced injuries and stress, increased confidence, and improved health are all great motivators and benefits of an active lifestyle. But what many of us don’t realize is that we don’t want to perform the same exercise routine everyday—or even every week.

Cross Train

To reach your full potential, you’ll want to train your entire body, rather than focus on one specific area day after day. By working your entire body, you’ll help avoid injuries and increase overall results.

If you find that you’ve hit a plateau with your results, consider a cross training may be beneficial for you. It is ideal for anyone from beginners to weightlifters.

Focus on Form

When working out, it’s very crucial to pay close attention to form. I often see someone’s heels come off the ground while mid-squat, their knees cave in, or they bend them past their toes. This is bad form and can lead to injuries if repeatedly loaded with heavy weight.

To improve form, what really needs to be worked on is hip strength, both adductors and abductors, along with ankle mobility. Ankle mobility, or lack thereof, may not seem like too big of an issue, but if an individual doesn’t even have the ankle mobility to perform a squat, it can be dangerous to load a squat with heavy weight.

To begin working on this, grab a foam roll. Start rolling and stretching your hamstrings, quadriceps, abductors, adductors, and your ankles. There are many more benefits to performing light-weight movements than there are to loading up a movement with heavy weight and bad form.
Opposite Movement Patterns

If your occupation puts you in a specific movement pattern routinely it’s okay to still train that movement pattern. However, it’s important to train the opposite movement pattern as well to avoid muscular imbalances. So, if you’re consistently pushing, incorporate pulling movements into your next workout. Take a golfer, for example. They perform thousands of swings a week in the same movement pattern. When they go to train, it is important to work their entire body, not just the same swinging motion. They could get burnt out or injured repeating movements, leading to an overuse injury.

Bottom line, workout to create balance in every muscle of your body to feel your body respond in a positive manner and decrease injuries. We’re here to help create a custom workout regimen to help you achieve your fitness and wellness goals. Contact us today to learn more.