Varied Workouts – The Benefits of Building a Balanced Exercise Routine

Have you ever found yourself battling a plateau in your path towards your fitness goals? Or or are noticing increasingly worsening aches and pains? It may be time to take a closer look at what your typical weekly exercise routine. Many people choose to stick to just one type of exercise for a variety of reasons, but oftentimes what can be the missing piece to building fitness in all aspects is variety!

As someone who has been involved in many different types of exercise and sports throughout my entire life, including dance, soccer, running, strength training, and now returning to running with increasing intent as I train for my first half marathon in May, I’ve learned firsthand how important it is to vary your workouts and try new things in order to find balance within your regular schedule of physical activity. A well-rounded routine not only improves overall performance but also reduces the risk of injuries and keeps workouts fun and engaging.

At the end I will share with you my current exercise plan. 

Why You Should Mix Up Your Workouts

1. Prevents Overuse Injuries

Doing the same types of movement patterns over and over and day after day can lead to muscle imbalances and even injuries due to repetitively overusing much of the same muscles. By incorporating different types of exercise into your routine, not only will you allow certain muscle groups to rest and recover while using others, but you can also therefore minimize the chances of setting your progress back with an injury and continue to meet and exceed your goals.

2. Builds on Different Areas of Fitness

There are many different categories of exercise, with each bringing its own unique set of benefits:
– Cardiovascular Exercise (examples: running, biking, swimming, brisk walking) → Improves heart health and endurance
– Strength and Stability Training (examples: weight lifting, bodyweight exercises, resistance band exercises) → Builds muscle, joint stability, and bone density
– Flexibility & Mobility Work (examples: yoga, Pilates, stretching) → Enhances recovery and can reduce feelings of stiffness in the body
– Agility & Power Training (examples: HIIT, Tabata, plyometrics, sprint intervals) → Boosts speed and reaction time- Flexibility & Mobility Work (examples: yoga, Pilates, stretching)                                                 – Balance Training (examples: standing on one leg, closing your eyes, standing on an unstable surface) helps to provide stability, improve coordination, prevent falls, and help you react to the demands of unexpected situations

Having a combination of each of these elements of exercise can lead to a better overall fitness level and lead you to become better equipped to handle all of the demands of your favorite type of exercise or sport, as well as unexpected demands on day to day life.

3. Keeps Exercise Fun

Many people would agree that doing the same workout time after time can get boring. If you switch things up in your routine, then you are able to challenge your body in new ways while keeping fitness engaging. While finding a type of exercise you truly enjoy is important, being open-minded to trying different forms of movement can help you stay motivated and prevent exercise burnout.

4. Improves Performance

Cross-training is incorporating other forms of exercise that compliment your main form of exercise, and it is one of the most important components of training for not just athletes but all individuals who exercise. As someone who currently is trying to maintain a strength training routine throughout my running training plan, I’ve found that lifting weights has helped to make me a more efficient runner, while other activities, such as stretching and foam rolling, has helped to improve my mobility and therefore significantly reduce post-run pain and stiffness. Incorporating other types of exercise that challenge your endurance in a different way other than your main form of cardiovascular exercise helps to give your body a rest from the same repetitive activity while maintaining your fitness level. While this currently looks like incorporating bike intervals into my training routine personally, other examples include hiking, swimming, brisk walking, or rowing, to name a few. Whether you’re training for a race or just want to be more well-rounded with regards to your level of fitness, a balanced approach to exercise will help you achieve this.

Final Thoughts

We live in a world where an excessive amount of information and advice is available to us with a simple internet search or a quick scroll through your go-to social media app. The overload of information available to us now can sometimes lead to an almost paralyzing feeling of not knowing where to start when it comes to exercise and what is best. It is important to remember that there is no wrong type of exercise, and that varying your workouts and trying new things can help you move in ways where you experience less pain and discomfort, keep injuries from occurring, and lead you to feel strong for many years to come.

Here is an example of a weekly training schedule that includes a mix of exercise types. This is what I am currently following as I train for my first half marathon while also trying to keep myself injury-free and maintain my progress in the gym.

 Sample Weekly Plan:

Sunday: Active Recovery (Easy Short Jog or Brisk Walk and Mobility/Stretching Work)

Monday: Strength Training (Full Body)

Tuesday: Cardio (Tempo Run) + Mobility/Stability Work

Wednesday: Cardio (Interval Run) + Stretching Session

Thursday: Cross-Training (Biking) + Strength Training (Lower Body Focus)

Friday: Cardio (Easy Run) + Mobility/Stability Work

Saturday: Cardio (Long Run) + Stretching Session

Emma MacKenzie, PT