By Rhianne Kerr | Exercise Physiology
When spring arrives, motivation often increases.
People start running again.
They join gyms.
They sign up for classes.
They decide this is finally the year they’ll get fit.
Then they make the same mistake:
They try to do everything at once.
Three gym sessions.
Two runs.
A weekend sport.
Pilates.
Long walks.
Suddenly, exercise has become another full-time job.
The problem isn’t enthusiasm.
The problem is that your body needs time to adapt.
A good exercise program should provide enough stimulus to create improvement without creating more fatigue than you can recover from.
That balance looks different for everyone.
Someone returning to exercise after several months may need only two structured sessions each week.
An experienced athlete may tolerate significantly more.
Age, training history, injury history, sleep, work, stress and other physical activity all influence how much exercise you can realistically handle.
This is why copying someone else’s program rarely works.
The right question isn’t:
“What’s the best exercise program?”
It’s:
“What’s the best program for me right now?”
A good program should also progress.
Once your body adapts, the training stimulus needs to change. That might mean increasing resistance, repetitions, distance, intensity or complexity.
But progression should be earned.
Spring is a good time to reassess your routine and ask whether it is actually moving you towards your goals.
If you’re constantly sore, exhausted or struggling to stay consistent, the answer probably isn’t to push harder.
You may need a better plan.
The goal is not to finish one great week of training.
It’s to build a routine you can still be doing — and benefiting from — months from now.
Call to build an exercise program that fits your body, goals and lifestyle.