It happens to the best of us. You start a new exercise routine, and you stick to it every day for weeks. Yet, despite your commitment to getting fit, you just aren’t seeing the desired results. Believe it or not, this common occurrence doesn’t mean you aren’t cut out to exercise. What it could mean is that your workout routine isn’t advanced enough for you to reach your goals. Which can be especially worrisome if your goal is to lose weight.
Fear not fitness fans, because there are surefire ways to determine if it is time to kick your workout regimen up a notch. (Or maybe even several notches.) Here are seven signs that your current fitness routine is too easy to produce results.
You don’t feel accomplished after you finish a workout
You know that feeling when you finish a big workout and hear the Rocky theme song playing in your head? You should get a similar feeling of accomplishment every time you finish a big workout. If you don’t feel a sense of achievement, then you’re more likely to give up. Things only get worse from there.
You aren’t getting a good night’s sleep afterward
You don’t have to feel completely exhausted after you finish a workout for it to be effective. However, a good sweat session should be helping you sleep better. Aerobic exercise, to be more precise. “As little as 10 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as walking or cycling, can dramatically improve the quality of your nighttime sleep, especially when done on a regular basis,” Sleep.org says.
You don’t break into a sweat
Yes we know — sweating is the body’s way of cooling down, and not an exact indicator of how many calories you’re burning. (Think hot yoga, which makes you sweat, but isn’t much of a calorie killer.) That being said, if you aren’t sweating at all, there is a strong chance your workout isn’t hard enough. “Any type of high-intensity exercise should prompt you to sweat,” naturopathic doctor Tiffany Jackson told mindbodygreen.
You spend your whole workout distracted
Having friends at the gym is a good thing. As is snagging the treadmill right in-front of the TV so you don’t miss the nightly news. But these things that make it easier to get through your gym session, are also making your workout suffer. “When you’re concentrating on what you’re hearing and seeing, you’re taking focus and energy away from your exercise,” Doctors Health Press explains. And if the focus and energy isn’t on your fitness regimen, then you aren’t going to see results from it. A good rule of thumb is to always listen to energetic music to stay focused and perform at your best.
You’re scared of intensity
With a new workout plan, it can be tempting to start with the least amount of intensity to avoid burnout. However, as we have mentioned many times already, the intensity level of your workout can make or break your chance of seeing results. “Exercising at the correct intensity can help you get the most out of your physical activity,” Mayo Clinic says. “Your exercise intensity must generally be at a moderate or vigorous level for maximum benefit. For weight loss, the more intense or longer your activity, the more calories you burn.”
Your muscles never feel the least bit worked
Nobody wants to be writhing in pain the day after a workout because their muscles are overworked. This makes some people shy away from doing anything that will make their muscles feel the least bit taxed. (Lifting smaller weights, walking at a slower pace, and so on.) But feeling a little bit of fatigue the next day isn’t a bad thing. Trainer Harley Pasternak told Shape the “soreness you feel the day after an upper-body workout — when you’re hauling groceries into your car and you can hardly lift your arms — is good.” Therefore, the lack of any type of feeling in your muscles is a sign that your workout is too easy for you to be getting results.
The key here is to work your muscles at a moderate level so you can continue working them on a regular basis. “As soon as you start feeling noticeably exhausted, end the session,” suggests Women’s Health.
You still spend more time on your couch than moving around
Sure, you might not need to exercise every single day in order to see results from your workout plan. But if you spent more time binge-watching Master of None and Big Little Lies this week than you did working out, it’s no wonder you aren’t seeing results.
The solution here is simple: Incorporate more activity into your everyday schedule to boost what you are already doing at the gym. This could be as simple as taking a walk instead of plopping down in-front of the TV or as dedicated as riding your bike to work. Mayo Clinic has great suggestions for staying active in the workplace instead of sitting the whole time. In addition, WedMD has some good pointers for setting goals when it comes to adding activity to your schedule.
