Why Encourage Your Gym-Goers to Vary Their Workouts

The health and fitness industry is continually evolving. Last year, the market value of the UK fitness industry was close to £5 billion, with almost 10 million members attending over 7,000 gyms. Such figures mean that one in every seven people in the UK holds a gym membership. With gym-goers on the rise, it’s more important than ever that fitness fanatics are clued-up on the basics of working out. Gym owners can help their customers out by promoting the health and safety issues surrounding exercise, and organise their staff so advice is readily available. Such advice could include everything from recommended equipment to nutrition. However, we found some experts also recommend mixing up exercise routines as part of a regular, healthy regime. While most people appreciate that regular exercise is pivotal, it still seems important to switch up a fitness routine every now and then. In fact, according to Bodybuilding.com, “if you continue to follow a workout programme without any change, it can place you in a tough plateau to break.” Keen to know more about this ourselves, we looked further into the many benefits of following a more varied workout programme and were delighted to discover the following additional perks.  

Prevent injury from overuse

The human body is at risk of injury when it is put through the same motions over and over again. The condition, known as repetitive strain injury (RSI), is caused by making many repetitive motions time and time again. Keeping activities varied can help to ensure that any overused muscles, joints and ligaments are given the chance to recover before being forced back into action.  

It’s also helpful for motivation

Regardless of how enthusiastically your gym’s members feel about fitness, exercise can and will get boring for many of them (our own experience may have influenced this part of our research). However, changing it up from time to time can help to keep things interesting, and that could help to keep motivation alive. Often, the reason why people stop going to the gym is down to a lack of motivation. However, by keeping things interesting and changing workouts regularly, they can expect better results – so you can expect happier clients, too!  

Variability prevents boredom

Many people have been guilty of counting down the seconds left on the treadmill or risked injury by rushing their deadlift sets because they simply can’t face the monotony of the same exercise yet again. However, by enabling people to constantly try new things in your gym, you can help these people to retain their love of exercise, and workouts will stay fun. From recommendations of various classes, or details of the many subtle variations of each exercise your customers just can’t face again, your knowledge could be the difference between them hitting a plateau or reaching their goals. HIIT exercises are often a great way to keep things interesting, too.  

Get through that weight-loss lull

Similar to how muscles become accustomed to exercises that are repeated regularly, the body also adapts to ongoing weight loss efforts – acclimatisation which means that fewer calories are burned. This is another reason why it’s important to encourage changing things up, as this will force the body to work harder to adjust to the new activity, and so more calories will be burned. Your knowledge on nutrition will also be a priceless source for any customers who are struggling to get their calories and macronutrients right when they’re out of the gym.  

It pays for exercisers to familiarise themselves

In order for someone to improve their fitness, they also need to understand their body. Again, your advice here could be crucial, as you might recognise that their physique has a problem they didn’t even know was there. Through varying exercises and trying new workouts, they can more easily understand what works for their composition and so what would help them to reach their personal goals. Also, by trying new exercises, they can uncover new techniques and, thus, new ways to challenge the body. In one example scenario, gym-goers could find that a certain move really benefits their triceps, but another plays havoc with their wrists.  

Brain training

Exercise is not only essential for good physical health but also crucial for mental health. It helps to keep the brain sharp while preventing memory loss, and learning new skills is beneficial for the brain’s neurons – meaning that learning a new activity is doubly beneficial. People, simply being people, need to stay engaged with what they’re doing, so variety will be key to their mental acuity whenever they hit the gym. Plus, research suggests that active individuals are at lower risk of hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke and diabetes.  

Reignite their passion for exercise

When it gets to the stage where someone starts to dread each of their workouts, it’s time for them to make a change. You may notice members dragging themselves through a workout; if so, advise them to mix things up a little. It may not be an immediate fix, as some trial and error will likely be needed before a gym member finds a new workout that they enjoy. However, if they include several different types of activity a week, they can avoid losing their love for fitness.  

It’s useful for meeting new people

Trying new activities is an excellent way of meeting likeminded people who share the same passion for exercise. With this in mind, point your customers in the direction of any fitness classes or circuits run by you and your staff. In taking advantage of these opportunities, these customers can effectively stay engaged and committed to the gym. Whether the session focuses on water aerobics, a running group or a spin class, having a workout buddy or two will help with accountability. People often feel out of their comfort zone when they first start at a gym – and, even if they are a regular member, they may feel too shy to approach you. You’ll probably be able to identify such individuals already, so be on hand to offer friendly advice when required. As well as looking after members and clients, you should remember to protect yourself, follow your own advice, and ensure you have valid gym insurance for your business.