Last Updated on May 10, 2016 by Michael Brockbank
There are always those who attest that one form of exercise is better than the other. While some experts believe you shouldn’t do planks or crunches, others will praise the activity. In reality, any physical activity is beneficial to your health. However, I don’t believe in focusing on just one area of the body. When you diversify your exercises, more can be accomplished than just firming up one muscle group.
Why Is Diversity Important?
I’m not saying that those who only work out their arms or legs are doing it wrong. It all depends on your desired end results. Not everyone cares about losing the belly fat or strengthening the lower back to prevent pain. Some people just want to be able to bench press a bus. And this is OK. However, it’s not for me. Here are the reasons why I would rather add diversity to my exercise routines rather than focus on a group of muscles.
Losing Weight
Obviously, I have a diverse workout because I want to lose weight. It’s my goal to burn off all of the excess “me” in order to feel good about myself – both physically and mentally. I rather enjoy being able to lift a 50-pound bag of dog food without grunting. It’s nice to take less than five seconds to get off of the floor. I would love to fit into my Hawaiian shirts that I haven’t even tried on yet because I am too bulbous. They were a Christmas present from my in-laws, and I love the colors. If you diversify your exercises, you can slim down and firm up all of those areas of your body that contribute to every day activities.
Increasing Stamina
It’s one hell of a workout to keep up with my children when we play, and I don’t like to lose. I love the idea of resistance training. In a sense, it’s what I do when I strap on the weighted gloves and play the Xbox Kinect. Once the gloves come off, I am so much faster when I move. Since I’m not worried about entering a bodybuilder contest, I’d rather just have the power to continue my day without getting winded.
Adding Strength
Personally, I’d rather have my entire body be stronger. This will help in a variety of everyday activities. Like I said, tossing the dog food in the shopping cart is only part of the experience. I’ve noticed everything from golf to household chores are much easier when I commit to overall cardio exercises rather than just what will pump up the muscles in the arms. I’ve seen guys throw a bag of cement over their shoulders and walk around like it was nothing, until the back pain kicked in. Without support of your core, you won’t be able to do certain activities for very long.
Preventing Boredom
I know a lot of people who come out of the gate strong and then fade around the first bend. Many of them get bored with their routines and begin putting off exercise. When you diversify your exercises, you can keep yourself from feeling like you’re in a rut. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I don’t have an exercise bike. I know I would get bored of it sooner or later, but I love riding outside. Riding around town can feel like a new adventure each time just by changing which roads you travel down. Anyway, creating a more diverse routine may help you sustain it longer by making it feel different with each session.
How to Diversify Your Exercises
Adding diversity to your exercises is relatively simply. Just work on your body as a whole and not just one muscle group. I know there are a plethora of experts out there who are shouting, “No!” right now. I’m just speaking from experience. When I visit the rec center, I work on all of the machines, not just the ones that focus on a specific group of muscles. After a couple of weeks, I’ve noticed a profound difference in my physical activities.
Adding Different Workouts
One reason I like Exercise.com so much is because there are over 2,000 exercises to choose from. It’s a great place to get ideas as well as knowledge regarding how to do the workouts. Going through the lists of different things you can do, you can prevent getting bored with your routines while finding exercises to work various muscles in the body. For example, I’ll alternate ab exercises throughout the week so that I don’t feel like it’s monotonous. One day I’ll do lying leg raises, another I’ll do planks.
When you diversify your exercises, you reduce the risk of getting bored while strengthening more of your body. While you could concentrate purely on muscle mass to carry a bail of hail without breaking a sweat, bear in mind that the activity is going to require more than just your biceps. A stronger body in general is also more resistant to injury and various joint pains. It’s all about keeping your body healthy as a whole. Personally, I’d rather every activity in my life be easier, and not just lifting.