Avoiding Fitness Plateaus

The dreaded Plateau!

You have been working hard to meet a fitness or weight loss goal and suddenly you stop making progress.  

This happens to a lot of people and it can be frustrating, but it is avoidable.  Basically, it's your body's way of telling you that it has become accustom to what you are doing and you need to change things up.  Here is a list of things you can do to avoid a plateau or overcome one.

1. Add intensity to your workout.  If you always go at the same speed, go faster.  Try adding in a few sprints.  Sprints can be done running, biking, elliptical, rower, pretty much anywhere.  
2. Add more weight.  If you have been lifting 5 pound weights for a month your body is not going to respond anymore.  If adding weight is not an option, try adding more reps.
3. Decrease rest time between sets.  
4. Add more sets.  Three sets of any one exercise is considered optimal, but their is not much research about adding more sets.  I will say from experience that an extra set increases the challenge.
5. Add another workout day.  If you have been working out 4 days a week, try 5.
6. Try something new.  Maybe this is a good time to really shake things up.  Take a class, join a team sport, or learn a new workout.
7. Look at your nutrition.  If you are close to meeting your goal you may find that you have to get a little stricter to make it to that goal.  Make sure you are eating enough, but enough of the right things.
8. Avoid overtraining.  It seems counterintuitive, but too much exercise can actually impede your progress.  Make sure you are giving your muscles a rest for at least 24 hours.  For example, if you worked upper body on Monday, work lower body one Tuesday.  If you are feeling weaker, getting ill frequently, have an injury, or are extremely tired these can be sign of overtraining.  Listen to your body!

The bottom line is that you are going to get the best results, and continue to get results when you change things up frequently.  You need to keep your body guessing so it cannot adapt.  Sometimes that will mean getting out of your comfort zone.  It will be well worth the challenge when you make it to your goal.  You are stronger than you think you are!

In Health,

Charity