Mix it up!!

healthymomwannabe

I've heard numerous times that your body gets used to the same exercise every day, then preps itself so as not to burn as many calories as you would if you mix your exercises up a bit. Question: Is it considered "mixing it up" if I do 60 minutes elliptical 2 days, then 15 minutes elliptical 1 day, then 40 minutes elliptical 2 days, etc? Or do I literally have to mix up my exercise by doing something other than the elliptical each and every day?

Amb1976

i mix mine up...i will go one day on the elliptical for (up to right now) 45 min....the following day i will do the power 90 cardio and (if my dvd player allows) power 90 sculpt...i also have 30 day shred i will throw in once in awhile just to mix it up more....i am considering getting zumba and wii fit active to put in as well

pyro13g

Muscle confusion is a myth especially for muscle growth. You do the best exercise for the muscle you want worked. Interval cardio is better then steady state.

floydg68

In addition to time you should mix "intensity." Meaning, one day do 30 minutes hard, then the next workout do 60 minutes easy or moderate depending on your level of fitness. Intensity keeps your body off balance, burns more calories and increases fitness faster. But it's not recommended that every workout is intense. Your body needs to recover and that's what the long easy or moderate days are. IMHO

jbug100

I think it has more to do with using different muscle groups (different type of exercise), not so much about varying length of workout. It's better to do different stuff anyway. Keeps it interesting:)

scjohnson420

Interval training is also great.. personally i get on the treadmill put it on 3.5 for 2 min and sprint on 7-8 for 2 min switching for 30 min then walk on an incline, but it is good to mix up the work out by using different machines and different muscle groups. This is especially great for losing the inches!!

tolygal

I think you need to literally do something different. I don't know anything about this confusion thing scientifically, but what I have noticed, personally, is that my body gets used to being able to do one thing. As I keep doing it, I get more efficient at that one thing, and that one thing only. Eventually, I have to push myself harder to get the same level of exertion (and heart rate), and therefore burning the same number of calories. So I like to do different types of workouts to make sure that my body isn't just adapting to that one thing, but also because I want to be more well-rounded than that. So I do the elliptical and aerobics classes/tapes. Then, when my knees don't object, I like to run. I, personally, do believe in the muscle confusion theory because I can feel it in what I do. If I only wanted to be good at one thing, or if I only wanted a certain body part to be trained/toned, then I supposed one excercise would be fine. But that's not what I'm looking for.

colochel

Any exercise is better than NO exercise. A trainer once told me it's good to change up your routine every 2-3 weeks. I love the elliptical though, and do it just about every single week. But I try to throw in work out vids and calisthenics.

pyro13g

Many of the recommendations to change up workouts are so you don't get bored and stop.