As a personal trainer and weight-loss coach, I am constantly answering health and fitness questions from my clients, on social media and in our Start TODAY Facebook group. In this column, I address some of the most common questions and roadblocks that trip people up on their journey to establish a health and fitness routine.
Does it matter that I do the same workout every day?
One of my biggest goals with my private clients is helping them find a type of exercise that they really enjoy so that they can stay consistent with their workout routine. If you’re new to exercising, finding an activity you actually like doing can be exciting.
Perhaps it’s walking, dance cardio or yoga. Maybe you’ve fallen in love with strength training. There’s nothing better than looking forward to a workout, especially if this is a new component of your lifestyle. You may even find that this workout has become a habit and it doesn’t require much motivation to get it done each day.
While nothing makes me happier than someone truly enjoying exercise, there are some drawbacks to doing the same workout every single day, both for our physical and mental health. Here are a few reasons you may want to mix things up:
You might get bored
By doing the same workout day after day, you risk growing tired of the routine and losing your excitement for exercise. If you find yourself just going through the motions of a workout and not feeling engaged, you may be getting bored of it. This can lead you to not put your all into the workout, which will slow your progress, or drop it all together, losing the habit you worked so hard to create. I recommend adding in some new moves to your routine every other week, or upping the intensity, to keep things interesting.
You could even take a little break from your favorite workout. As they say: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. One of my clients became bored of her morning spin session on her bike at home. So we changed it up for a couple of weeks and had her go into a different room of the house, grab a set of dumbbells, and focus on strength training. After two weeks of doing resistance training a few times a week, she missed her spin workout and was ready to go back to the bike!
You risk overuse of certain muscles
Performing the same routine every day can lead to excess soreness or strain. Using the same muscle groups over and over again doesn’t leave any time for your muscles to repair and grow. I recommend alternating days training different muscle groups so that you give your body time to recover.
Doing too much of any type of exercise, without adequate rest time, runs the risk of causing pain or injury. Running every day is a lot of impact on the knees and doing full-body strength training on consecutive days can overwork your muscles and not give them time to recover.
Before working with me, one of my clients was riding her stationary bike every single day and started complaining of hip pain. She ended up having to go to physical therapy to loosen up her hips because they’d become so tight from biking daily. Not only was it important that she add stretching to her routine to combat the repetitive movement, but we began breaking up her spin sessions with other types of movement to give her lower body a break.
You may hit a plateau
You could potentially stop seeing results if the workout becomes too easy for you. For many, the whole point of exercise is to see and feel physical results. If you’ve been consistently performing the same routine, chances are it will start to get easier as you increase your physical fitness and your body gets used to the movement.For certain workouts like strength training, I recommend increasing the number of sets, reps or the weight. For cardio workouts, try interval training or add a completely different type of exercise into your routine to keep the body guessing and challenge your muscles.
For example, another one of my clients had been doing Zumba for a few months. Initially, she saw weight-loss results, but after three months she seemed to have plateaued. In the beginning, she was sore and needed a day off in between sessions. But after a month of doing the same workout, she upped it to five days a week and still wasn't seeing the scale budge. Her body had become used to the movement and she stopped seeing progress. So we focused on Pilates to get into the deep core muscles — something that she wasn’t focusing on in her Zumba classes! — and she began to see positive changes in her body again.
So how often is it OK to perform my favorite workout?
I would recommend performing a workout you absolutely love approximately three times a week, skipping a day in between. On these days where you’re not doing that workout, try to move your body in a different way. You need variety both physically and mentally in order to stay motivated and keep seeing results. And by exploring other types of movement, you may just find some other forms of exercise that you enjoy, too!
More of your questions, answered!
- If all I do is walk, is that a good enough workout?
- I hold weight in my midsection. Can I spot reduce belly fat?
- I want to invest in a piece of at-home fitness equipment. Which is the best option?
Stephanie Mansour
Stephanie Mansour is a contributing health and fitness writer for TODAY. She is a certified personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor andweight-loss coachfor women. She hosts “Step It Up with Steph” on PBS. Join her complimentary health and weight-losschallenge and follow her for daily inspiration onInstagram and in hernew app.
FAQs
Performing the same routine every day can lead to excess soreness or strain. Using the same muscle groups over and over again doesn't leave any time for your muscles to repair and grow. I recommend alternating days training different muscle groups so that you give your body time to recover.
Can you workout everyday and see results? ›
If you exercise every day for at least 30 minutes, you can expect to see some physical changes within the first few weeks. In time, the results of exercise will be even more pronounced.
Is there a benefit to working out at the same time every day? ›
Consistent exercise timing, and especially consistent morning exercise, may facilitate greater exercise levels by enhancing planning, fostering an exercise habit, and/or improving self-regulation. Morning exercise may also enhance weight loss independently of daily physical activity levels.
Is it OK to keep doing the same workout routine? ›
Your body will eventually become extremely familiar with the same motions. Instead, change things up to keep your muscles challenged. Try a combination of cardio, strength based, stretching and high intensity exercises each week. If you use the same muscles repeatedly, you run the risk of developing an overuse injury.
Will I see results if I workout every other day? ›
Your results won't decrease from "only" training every other day (3-4 workouts a week). Some get similar results and some get massively superior results. But whatever your results, you'll feel better, reduce aches and pains, and gain more energy and time to do other things.
What does 3 months of gym look like? ›
Entering the third month, your hard work will start paying off more noticeably. You'll witness changes in muscle tone, and your cardiovascular fitness will improve. The mirror will become your friend as you admire the developing contours of your body. Remember that progress is rarely linear.
Does working out 30 minutes a day make a difference? ›
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, keep off lost weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Cutting down on sitting time is important, too.
What is the best time to workout to lose belly fat? ›
“Specifically, women who exercise in the morning have much greater loss of total body fat (-5 percent vs. -2 percent) and belly fat (-10 percent vs. -3 percent),” says Dr. Arciero, who published these results in Frontiers in Physiology in 2022.
Is it better to workout in the morning or at night? ›
Morning vs. evening workout: which is better? For more focus and energy throughout the day or to lose some weight, a morning session is well-suited. For improving your strength and stamina, you'll probably see better results if you nip to the gym in the evening.
How long should a workout be? ›
The ideal workout duration can vary significantly depending on the person, their goals, their preferences, and the exercise type. For weightlifting and bodyweight strength training, 45–60 minutes per session may suffice. Meanwhile, cardiovascular and calisthenic training may be better if performed for 30–60 minutes.
As a rough guide, you'll probably notice some initial changes in the first four to six weeks, but longer-term changes (what you're working toward) will often take around eight to 12 weeks.
Will muscles grow if you workout every day? ›
The short answer is no. While there are many benefits to strength training, including building stronger bones and muscles and maintaining a healthy weight, you shouldn't lift weights every day. “The science for strength training is that two to three days per week is the best dose for most people.
Is it okay to do cardio and weights on the same day? ›
Can You Do Cardio and Strength Training On the Same Day? Short answer: Yes. “For those just starting, experts often advocate incorporating both cardio and weights.
Can you do the same workout everyday and get results? ›
Performing the same routine every day can lead to excess soreness or strain. Using the same muscle groups over and over again doesn't leave any time for your muscles to repair and grow. I recommend alternating days training different muscle groups so that you give your body time to recover.
Is it okay to workout when sore? ›
"Working out when sore is okay as long as it isn't affecting your movement to the point where it's causing you to compensate and do something in a way that's unsafe," says Dr. Hedt. "Muscle soreness can be a deterrent to exercising, but it's temporary and the more you exercise, the less you should feel it.
How long should I do the same workout? ›
“I recommend doing the same workouts for at least two weeks in a row, and then you can change them up," says Victoria. "The reason for that is because if you change workouts every single week, you will not be able to keep track of progressive overload and if you are truly increasing reps or weight from week to week."
How long does it take to see results from working out regularly? ›
The answer depends on your goals—whether you are improving your cardio, gaining muscle, or losing weight—and your fitness level. For example, people who are new to working out will typically see cardio and muscle gain within two to four weeks. In contrast, significant fat loss might take around four months or longer.
Will I get fit if I workout everyday? ›
Moving our bodies every day comes with some impressive health benefits, including improved circulation, heart health, muscle strength and flexibility, burning calories and speeding up the metabolism.
How many times a week should you workout to see results? ›
If you really want to see results reflected on the scale and continue to make progress over time, you need to commit to working out at least four to five days per week. But remember, you'll build up to this. To start, you might only want to do two or three days per week and slowly work your way up to five days.
