Repetitive exercises causing stall in weight loss?

Island_Style20

I use my Zumba DVD's for workouts. Only have a few DVD's at the moment though so I am doing the same exercise day after day. I've heard about switching up your routine, but will this stall my progress if I continue to do the same exercise?

kenazfehu

Yes, your body gets efficient with repeated exercise, and you will use far less energy to perform the moves over time.

andreanicole686

Your body will get use to it. You also shouldn't just be doing cardio. It's a good starter but you need to throw in some weight training too. Switch it up!

muffle1969

So if I'm swimming laps as follows 5-6 days a week:
- 6 breast stroke
- 6 free style
- 6 backstroke (both arms at once)
- 6 backstroke (regular)
- 4 kicking back and forth
- 2 breast stroke (for cooldown)

...am I in danger of stalling? Or is that enough variety of movement to prevent that? I'm adding laps as I increase in speed. My total time is around 45-48 minutes, and I plan to keep it that way.

SylentZee

I hit a stall after about a month and a half...then switched up my routine...and the plateau disappeared. Focusing mainly Cardio sounds good at first, but, adding strength training helps A LOT...muscle weighs more than fat.

Before the stall, I was pretty consistent with my foods, calories burned, etc so this definitely caused my body to become adjusted to this same routine.

MinnieInMaine

You may not stall but your weight loss will likely slow down because once your body gets used to the same routine, intensity, etc, you'll be putting in less effort and therefore burning less calories. However, as you said, you're not doing the same workout every day so I don't think it will be as much of an impact. Maybe switch it up once or twice a week with something else, even if it's just a walk.

DPernet

So if I'm swimming laps as follows 5-6 days a week:
- 6 breast stroke
- 6 free style
- 6 backstroke (both arms at once)
- 6 backstroke (regular)
- 4 kicking back and forth
- 2 breast stroke (for cooldown)

...am I in danger of stalling? Or is that enough variety of movement to prevent that? I'm adding laps as I increase in speed. My total time is around 45-48 minutes, and I plan to keep it that way.

If all you do day after day is 45 mins of swimming (doesn't matter that you mix the strokes up a little), then after a while your body will get used to it. You will get faster and more efficient, but you start hitting the law of diminishing returns. At this point, it would be best to add something else in. Like 30 mins every other day of weight lifting, or an exercise class etc etc

Flowers4Julia

I tend to agree with the other opinions here, but wanted to add that if you wear a heart rate monitor you can always double check that you are putting in enough (or sometimes too much) effort.

Definitely switch things up! Dance on some days, walk on others, etc. It will use different muscle groups and that is a good thing!

heybales

If you do the exercise at the same pace or level of work, regardless of where the HR is, you burn the same amount of calories or a very little bit less because of being more efficient with it.

As you weigh less though, now you'll burn far less calories. That's the kicker.

When you find the HR being lower for doing the same work, it just means you are more aerobically fit, you can supply the same amount of oxygen required to do the same amount of work and burn the same amount of calories.
Does the energy needed to lift 5 lbs change just because it feels easy or hard to you. No, everyone that lifts that 5lbs is spending the same amount of energy.
Your HR being high means less fit compared to lower HR, and higher means more carb's burned than fat at lower HR.

Now for aerobic fitness, you would indeed have to push harder for higher HR.

For calorie burn though, just a tad harder will make up for being more efficient at the activity.

The idea of doing a new workout just means inefficient with it compared to the efficient ones you are doing. It'll plateau too.

Usually this is about the fact you should be losing less the less you have to lose. If you don't purposely do it, your body will make it happen anyway. Many times more extreme than it needs to be.

mrsvatitagain

With anything as you get better adn stronger you have to increase the intensity, even if its the same routine, you will have to sooner or later increase the intensity and that should happen naturally, as the moves get easier challenge yourself more.