We all do it from time to time. We get in certain habits and before we know it, those habits become ruts. Whether it’s stopping by the exact same coffee shop every day until we begin to hate the sound of the barista’s voice or it is riding that same stationary bike day in and day out, humans fall into these ruts over and over again. While your coffee shop rut won’t cause any major problems except for maybe a court ordered anger management class or two, your exercise rut could derail your entire fitness routine. Let’s take a look at the problems that come with getting in a fitness rut.

Body, Heal Thyself…If You Can

First, exercise ruts make it almost impossible for your body to heal itself in between workouts. By using the same muscle groups day in and day out, you set yourself up for injuries. Nothing can take you off the road to good health quite like a blown out knee can, so keep that in mind before you jump on the bike or hit the stairs for the seventh time this week. Instead of repeating the same old exercises, try something that will work different muscles. Your body will be very pleased, and it just might reward you on the scale.

Flabby Arms and Toned Legs

Injuries aren’t the only problem you can run into when you work out the same muscle groups every day. You could also end up a body that is partially toned and partially flabby. Let’s say you ride a stationary bike at the gym every single day of the week. Stationary bikes provide great cardio and they also build up leg muscles. They don’t do much for your arms, though. Thus, you could end up with killer legs and arms that flap when you wave. You don’t want to spend all your time working out, only to end up with a disproportionate body. You also don’t want to have grandma arms, so make sure your arms are getting as much exercise your legs are. Also, don’t forget about your midsection or your overlapping belly could keep you from seeing those hot legs.

Do More, Get Less

When you get in a rut, you have to push yourself harder and harder to get ahead. In the beginning, you might burn a lot of calories by riding a stationary bike for 30 minutes. Then, you will need to increase your time and intensity to get the same results you achieved in the beginning. Before you know it, you’ll have to be on that bike for a good part of the day just to get ahead. If you don’t want to keep increasing the time you work out, you have to vary your workouts. Otherwise you will have to pay the gym rent instead of a membership fee. You’ll also have to spend extra time next to that sweaty guy who sings along with his iPod. You don’t want to do that so mix up your workouts. Then, you can get in and out in an hour or less.

Burnout

Do you know why people get sick of going to work? It’s because they often do the same thing day in and day out. Sure, they love the paycheck, but they hate the repetitive nature of their jobs. The same is true for people who get in an exercise rut. They love the payoff. They don’t like doing the same thing every day, though. Eventually, that boredom will cause them to ditch their workouts. You can avoid burnout by changing your routine up from time to time.

You need to take your routine off autopilot so you can get the best results. Mix it up so you can reap all of the benefits that come with a solid workout routine.

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Dan Clay is a fitness boot camp specialist and owner of Dangerously Fit. If you would like to register for bootcamps in Balmoral, click here to check it out.