Keep Your Cardio Fresh With These 3 Tips

Often it is not enough to jump on a treadmill and pound away the miles and calories at a steady pace and still expect to lose weight week after week after week. In order to lose weight with a workout program, there are certain things that you must do to keep your body working as hard as it did the first week or two. After all, as your body becomes accustomed to the "regular" workout you subject it to, it will not have to burn as much energy. This makes sense because with time, your endurance will not only tire you out less, but you will be able to run a little farther, you will not be in as much pain, and you will not sweat nearly as much (keep in mind, however, that it is never wise to keep beating yourself up without your workouts; finding a balance between struggling to get through a workout and flying through a workout is the ideal).

For people who are fanatical about cardio workouts, it is important to keep the exercises fresh and new for your body. This means changing the workout. Here are a few simple ways that you can change workouts to keep your body working as hard on 180 as it was on day 2.

1. Switch Machines

The easiest way to keep your workouts fresh is to switch your cardio machine. If you are a treadmill runner, consider moving to an elliptical trainer. Switch your cardio machine every 4 to 6 weeks, which is usually how long it takes for your body to get used to one exercise routine to the point where it is no longer fresh enough to keep it working hard.

To keep things interesting, after the end of your second 4 to 6 week routine, switch to a third cardio machine rather than returning to the first one. Depending on your level of fitness, after this third rotation, you could return to the first machine and you will find that your body responds as though it was never on that machine in the first place.

2. Switch Your Intervals

Rather than keeping to a constant workout or pace, change your routine every 2 to 4 weeks. Our bodies will often adapt to a particular routine -- this is where building endurance comes into the picture. People training for a marathon, for example, will train in similar terrain (e.g. more slight uphill elevations for some venues, versus more hilly terrains for others). They do this because their bodies, muscles and heart will adapt to those conditions. Switching the interval sequence of your workouts is one way of keeping the exercise fresh and your body from getting so accustomed to the workout that the blood, sweat and tears doesn't even cause your scale to budge.

3. Take a break

Depending on how regularly you workout, taking a break from your routine is a good idea. If you workout every day, allowing for a day of rest is not only essential so that your body does not "break down" and leave you drained, but it allows your muscles and heart to not get too comfortable with your daily routine. Ideally, cardio workouts three times per week with a day in between works best. Working out every day at the same cardio exercise will only build up your body's endurance and tolerance; the exercise will become easy enough for you and easier for your body as it will not be burning the same energy as it did when you first started.

These tips are great ways for you to keep your workouts fresh and your body working at its optimal insofar as your weight loss goals go. Switching machines, changing your interval training and incorporating a break will insure success with your fitness goals. While this is nothing new, a lot of people often overlook these important tips.

Chris has been writing about health and fitness issues for the past 4 years. He currently manages a website that helps people find the right HGV Training [http://www.hgvtraininguk.com] at [http://www.hgvtraininguk.com]. Be sure to stop by and see what lies ahead in your future!