How to keep your work out from stalling out
After recovering from weight loss surgery such as LAP-BAND, gastric bypass or duodenal switch in Salt Lake City, fitness will become an important part of your daily life. You’ll need to start very slowly and cautiously, of course, to build up your strength after surgery, but once you’re able to take on more strenuous activities, you’re likely to find an exercise routine that works well for you. But what do you do when your progress with a tried and true routine appears to stall?
That workout tap-out is referred to as a “fitness plateau.” Though it’s easy to get discouraged about an exercise when you can’t see clear progress, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a message that whatever you’re doing, in whatever way you’re doing it, has somehow stopped working. Of course, you should always ask your doctor if your body is ready for exercise, but here’s some advice on how to avoid the dreaded fitness plateau once you begin.
Devise a Plan
According to experts, the best way to keep away from fitness plateaus is by having a long-term plan that focuses on goal-oriented progression. The human body adapts to challenges posed by gradually becoming stronger, leaner and more resilient. This process necessitates that your workout gradually become more intense. Try devising a plan that will allow you to challenge your body a little bit more each day as it adjusts, because you’ll always reach a fitness plateau if you give yourself the same challenge every day.
Of course, you may also have success with one workout for several months and then reach a point in which it’s no longer helping. If that happens, it may be time to mix some other kind of exercise into your plan.
Don’t Jump Ship Too Quickly
Though your body will adapt to workouts over time, it’s important not to move too quickly between different routines. Everyone wants to lose weight as quickly as humanly possible, but you won’t see the physical benefits of your exercise immediately. Many people abandon worthwhile workout routines in hopes of faster results from workout fads, but abandoning one too quickly will keep you from seeing if you’re actually making progress with it.
Maintaining consistency and monitoring the effectiveness of an exercise regimen are the best practices when trying to accurately track your progress, so don’t give up on an exercise until you really know how much good it does you. Eight to 16 weeks is typically a good time frame to test out a workout—give your body some time to adapt to it.
Identify Outside Variables
Many times, factors outside your workout can lead to a fitness plateau. Increasing variables like stress, change in diet and other lifestyle factors could be what’s hindering your progress—not your workout plan. Isolating and coping with that root issue can help get your workout back on track. It’s also important to note that exercise, like everything in life, happens in cycles. If you’re in the middle of a particularly stressful period at your job, you need to accept that this is not the time to start a brutal workout routine. You can ramp up workout efforts in times when other important things in your life require less attention.