Movement as a rule is a great idea. But in order to keep your body operating at optimal levels and to avoid plateaus, you need to diversify. That means, switching up your exercise routines to keep your overall fitness efforts well rounded. It’s a good idea to always include cardio, strength training, stretching and joint conditioning in any workout or series. But it’s an even better idea to switch up the way you address each of those categories in any given routine.
This does not mean you have to construct a whole new routine daily. It’s a good idea to space your changes up over weeks, or even every few months. Our bodies don’t adapt quickly enough to any given exercise on a daily basis. Think of it like this: you may not be able to run 10 miles on the first try, but that’s definitely something that you can work up to over time. The same goes for exercise diversity. You can work UP to lifting heavier or doing a certain amount of repetitions over time. If we estimate that it takes 3-6 weeks to achieve those goals (given a consistent 3x a week routine), that’s about the time you should be thinking about to switching things up.
In addition to diversifying your exercise, consider also switching up your environment. Sometimes a change of scenery can go a long way to helping us make the most of every movement.
The key in any routine is to avoid a plateau. This usually happens when your body stops responding in a positive way to any given exercise. Your body can also signal you through inflammation (sometimes triggered by stressed repetition), which can be precursor to injury. So it’s a good idea to switch things up to avoid either or both.