IMPORTANCE OF CONSISTENCY IN YOUR WORKOUTS

Have you ever felt the urge to stop exercising once your desired goal is met? Most of us assume that the physical gains we have achieved can be retained forever. In reality, it doesn’t work that way. A habitual exerciser understands the fact that the moment we stop physical activity, the body starts to protest.

Unlike many things life, the law of reversibility applies to physical fitness and by no means can it be prevented. To ensure that we preserve the gains, we have to make exercise a part of our daily routine and not stop when we feel like we have accomplished our goals. Below are a few reasons why we should resist the temptation to take a break:

1) Reduction in metabolic rate

Muscle tissue is the only active tissue in the human body and it plays a huge role in regulating our basic metabolic rate (BMR). Higher the BMR, the better. Physical activity helps build muscle which will have a positive impact on the BMR of an individual. However, when we stop physical activity, muscle tissues are no longer being added to our frame and in some cases we lose some amount of muscle too. This will drop the BMR and in turn reduce the capacity of the body to burn calories. This can have a negative impact on our body composition which will lead to unwanted weight gain if left unaddressed.

2) Strength loss

Muscular strength is relatively hard to build and it takes time to do so. Physical inactivity is the major reason why individuals become weak. Someone who has been lifting weights for some time will definitely enjoy the positive side effect of added muscle mass and strength. However, it’s almost impossible to maintain the strength levels once we let go of physical activity. As per studies, we lose muscular strength one and a half times the rate in which it took to gain it. The rate of strength loss may be imperceptible, but surely it goes back to square one in some time.

3) Mentally, it’s hard to start after we stop

All of us have experienced the laziness to hit the gym when we have not been doing so for some time. Regular participation keeps laziness away and increases the chance of participation in physical activity regularly. If for some reason, we skip a few gym sessions, the mind doesn’t provide the necessary push to hit the gym again. In fact, it’s exactly when we are not exercising that the mind should really push us to do so. Interestingly enough, the mind behaves paradoxically in such situations. Physical inactivity will amplify our laziness. So, the best choice is to not stop exercising.

Considering that there exists no single reason why we shouldn’t be consistent with our workouts, it’s very important that we prioritize physical activity and perform it on a daily basis until it becomes our habit.

Lift consistently and enjoy greater health!

Abhinav. M