We all love a good workout, because pushing ourselves physically and mentally is refreshing and challenging, and rising to that challenge can be a way to motivate ourselves to tackle other, more complex problems in our day-to-day life.

Evolutionarily speaking, exercise works because a regular strain placed on our muscles causes our bodies to adapt to the specific kind of strain placed on us. A good workout plan needs six things at the very least in order to be successful, and they can be as simple as a diverse range of ellipticals, or as complex as a 5 day bodybuilding workout programme, depending on your goals and what YOU like.

Challenging

Your workout must be challenging. This is a key component to any good workout, as an easy workout doesn’t force you to rise to your own self-inflicted challenge, which means you don’t stay motivated enough to continue working out for the long-term. A challenging workout can utilize several different kinds of exercise, such as cardio and weightlifting, and incorporate various techniques like HIIT.

 

 

Achievable

On the other hand your workout can’t be too hard, otherwise you run the risk of losing motivation, which can be an exercise killer. Make it good and tough, but not impossible, because failing a workout over and over is disheartening more than it is encouraging.

Rather build it up and add to your programme over time.

If you like running, run an extra two kilometers to what you normally run. If you like lifting weights, lift an extra 5 kilograms to what you usually lift. If you use a machine, try adding more weights to your chosen machine, or try adding different and more machines or exercises to your workout.

Diverse

Your workout should utilize many different styles of exercise to really get all of your muscle groups moving at the same time. Make a workout with lots of diversity, to help you never end up bored while working out again.

 

 

Fun

If your workout is boring, it will be harder to stick to it. Working out becomes rewarding and fun when you have done it for a while, and your body anticipates the endorphin rush that comes as a result of pushing yourself physically, but until that point, there has to be reason for you to enjoy yourself other than the challenge.

Choose something that you enjoy doing, if you like to dance go to regular dance classes, or play tennis, whatever you enjoy! This will help get you started with exercising and you may love it so much that you branch out and try other forms of it.

Adaptable and flexible

Your workout should be able to travel with you. Sure, people like to work out with machines and specialized equipment, but do they ever exercise when they travel? Probably not, or at least not in the same way. Your workout could have body-weight exercises to promote using what you have with you – your body- and not relying on specialized machines and equipment.

 

 

Healthy

Most importantly, your workout should be healthy for you and allow you to live a better more healthy life. Doing an unhealthy amount of exercise, either too little or too much, can also be counter productive, and your goal should be a consistent and achievable, healthy workout regime. 

Working out can change your life for the better, and your body too.