When we discover an exercise that we fall in love with, it is a wonderful thing! We may find that we lose ourselves in that activity because we actually find ourselves there. It is something that brings out our personality, makes us smile – or even laugh – and reminds us of the gift of the blessing of the gift of movement. But, we can keep a “one-track mind” and forget that we need to incorporate other workouts into our routine as well.
When we stay laser-focused on our “first love” of movement, we can still neglect our bodies in a way. Cross-training is a must for every one of us. We want to make sure that our body, mind, and spirit are well-rounded temples.
When we find other workouts to integrate into our normal routine:
- we allow our body to recover from that “favorite” workout of choice, allowing some muscles to rest and recover which helps in reducing the risk of injury.
- we make our body work in various ways, leading to an overall better fitness level.
- we must omit excuses as to “why I can’t workout”. We have various and familiar options to keep our bodies moving (think bad weather that moves you indoors).
We also reap benefits for our mind and spirit when we cross-train. Our thoughts and feelings are a major part of our workouts, and as we switch things up, we:
- Keep from eventually becoming bored with our workouts. Even when we love an exercise, it can still eventually become boring. Trying other fitness routines can actually lead us to new “loves”.
- Challenge our minds. Having to learn a new form of exercise makes our minds work in new ways, creating new synapses in the brain and also creating a sense of accomplishment when we succeed, not to mention new muscles used for new workouts.
- Make new friends! Finding alternative exercises can put us in a place to meet new people and form friendships that can last a lifetime.
