Do you find yourself frustrated because you have been working hard but are still not seeing the fat shedding off of your body? If you have been doing the same activity for several months, it just may be time to change what you are doing or how you are doing it.
As we spend time doing a particular activity our body becomes more and more efficient at that activity. This increased efficiency actually decreases the amount of calories we burn. Now, this does not mean the activity is not beneficial…but it does mean that your body does not have to work as hard as it did when you first started that activity. Cross training will increase the benefits from your hard work.
To maximize your time and effort, periodically change the cardiovascular activity that you are doing, or change the intensity and/or duration. After you have spent a couple of weeks doing a different activity you will be able to come back to you favorite activity with a higher level of fintess. Not only will you be burning more calories, you will have a better mental state, and will decrease the potential for injury.
For those of you that are on the road as a traveling health professional, your options for exercise equipment may be limited. However, you don’t have to just change the activity to increase a change in your body. Change your workout from a thirty minute duraction working at approximately the same level to an interval workout, increasing your speed for 1-3 minute intervals. This is an excellent way to add variety and increase your calorie expenditure.