Is Better to Do Different Exercises or Repeat the Same One?

If you're on a quest to improve your fitness, you might want to know which types of exercises are guaranteed to give you the best results. You might also want to know whether it's better to stick to the same workout or to switch things up. Since there are plenty of exercises to choose from -- for example, running, swimming, cycling, yoga and lifting weights -- sometimes it can be hard to select one workout or, alternatively, to vary your exercises when you really love what you're doing. As it turns out, there are reasons both to change your exercises and to repeat the same ones.

  1. When To Switch

    • You should vary your exercises when you want to break a weight-loss plateau, when you're hurt and when you're bored, says One Medical Group. You should also switch up your exercises if you're interested in weight training. According to DualFIT.com, you should alternate muscle groups when you're strength training. Work out your chest and back one day, your biceps and triceps the day after and, finally, your shoulders and legs. You can pair your ab workouts with cardio. The next week, alternate in the same order.

    Why Switch

    • In the fitness world, it turns out that variety really is the spice of life. A University of Florida study indicates that those who vary their workouts every two weeks are more likely to stick to exercising in the long term than those who do the same workout every day. When you vary your workout routine, you also keep your body guessing and avoid plateaus. "The human body is designed to seek the path of least resistance," explains "Oxygen" magazine. When, for instance, you run every day, your body will adjust quickly, thus minimizing your effort. Switch up your workouts and you will keep your body on its toes.

    When To Repeat

    • Repeat your exercises if you're training for a race, game or competition. For instance, 2012 Olympic gymnast Jordyn Wieber practiced the same routines on each event six days a week. If you're not a competitive athlete, you also don't necessarily have to switch up your cardio workouts when you're only interested in maintaining your weight or are simply exercising for fun, says fitness coach Krista Schaus. For example, if you like to jog to clear your head and keep your mind off things, that's perfectly fine.

    Why Repeat

    • Practice makes perfect. The more you do a particular exercise, the better you'll get at it. This is really important if you're an athlete to maximize your performance in a game or competition. Even if you're only working out for fun, it's not a bad idea to repeat a fitness routine you really like. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of cardio -- like jogging -- a day. As long as you get a workout in, it doesn't matter whether you do the same thing every day.