Step up your fitness game

You are not a tree. There are no roots preventing you from moving forward, from changing your environment. Why, then, do so many people insist on remaining stagnant when it comes to their exercise program?

We see it all the time: People who feel comfortable with their normal daily or weekly routine. They walk the same two-mile loop around the neighborhood four times a week, ignoring the fact that they could easily keep going and aren’t out of breath like the first time they did it. They hit the elliptical and punch in the same program and same resistance even though they've noticed an improvement in their cardiovascular endurance. They run through the same six bodyweight exercises in their living room, silently wondering why this suddenly feels so easy without understanding that the easy feeling is not what we're going for. Comfort, my friends, is the enemy of progress. If you're still doing the same workout on day 120 as you were doing on day one, it's time to channel your inner beast and make a change.

If you're questioning if it's time to try something new, ask yourself these questions:

• After finishing your last rep in your set, do still feel like you could do a few more?
• Do you feel fatigued by the end of your run? Note that fatigued does not mean exasperated!
• Do you dread every upcoming workout?
• Have you noticed that your progress seems to have plateaued?
• Have you been doing the same routine for more than four to six weeks?

According to the American Council on Exercise, our muscular systems adapt to exercise programs within about six to eight weeks—yes, even beginners. Now, let's talk about what this doesn't mean: This doesn't mean that you have to pick up the heaviest dumbbell on the rack to continue progressing. This doesn't mean that you have to kill yourself in an advanced boot camp class. This definitely doesn't mean you have to sign up for a marathon.

What this does mean is that, after you've given yourself some time to fall in love with the way your body feels after a good sweat session and have explored your likes and dislikes when it comes to fitness, it might be time to start dipping your toe into more difficult waters. Stepping up your fitness game doesn't mean that you totally abandon the routine you've come to know and love-hate, but rather that you open yourself up to new challenges and explore ways to continue activating your muscles. Our muscles are adaptable, almost to a fault. As we get used to the movement pattern and weight, muscles learn how to handle it efficiently, which is great for your comfort level, but not for your gains if you're looking to see continued physical change.

ACE recommends memorizing this simple acronym for when you feel the time is right to take the next step toward fitness greatness: FITT, which stands for frequency, intensity, time and type. Each variable can be adjusted approximately every six weeks (listen to your body, though!) to continue seeing physical improvements and avoid the dreaded plateau. Not only will these subtle, but effective changes encourage your muscles to continue growing and developing, but you'll also be protecting yourself from feeling bored or blah about your workouts.

If you're a creature of habit, that's okay—changes can be subtle. Instead of bicep curls with a 10-pound weight for 10 repetitions, try first increasing your reps by two and later adding a 5 percent increase in weight with fewer reps. Instead of going to your usual vinyasa class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, why not throw in an aerial yoga class on Wednesday? If you're an at-home workout warrior, seek out new fitness influencers on YouTube or Instagram and bookmark some different options to challenge and transform new muscles. If you pride yourself on being the queen of squats but find that you can zip through 30 reps without really feeling the burn, consider abandoning your bodyweight preference and adding a barbell to your routine for a resistance challenge. The added weight will decrease your number of reps while intensifying the burn in those glutes and quad muscles.

When you feel that familiar voice in your head talking you out of your planned workout, there's a good chance that it's time to change something. Don't be afraid to add a little something to your sweat session! Opt into a challenge before you opt out—you might just surprise yourself by how strong you've become.