You already know all about the importance of working out regularly and committing to your fitness routines. In some cases, commitment alone to a fitness program sometimes fails to yield the results you hope to see, despite your best efforts. Sometimes, you even struggle to motivate yourself to work out, and you don’t seem to know why. Could you be doing something wrong? What gives? Find out some surprising things that could be affecting your workout or fitness routine.
- Workout location
Believe it or not, where you decide to exercise is more important than you think. For example, consider running on a treadmill in a crowded gym to running in an open park with the natural breeze brushing through your hair and caressing your face – you’ll undoubtedly feel more comfortable in the latter environment.
This is not to suggest that you always need to run outdoors to enjoy your exercise. But after using a treadmill at the gym or home continuously, your mind and body will need some change. In this case, running outside will make a world of difference. And this leads to the next point.
- Air quality
If you do most of your running outside, air pollution can adversely affect your performance and make you slower. For example, a study on marathon runners revealed that air pollution levels led to a reduction in performance and running time of some marathon runners.
That is because, when you run, you inhale about 10 to 20 times more oxygen than when you’re resting. Since you tend to inhale deeper when running, you deeply take air pollutant particles into your lungs. That leads to a predictable linear drop in your lungs’ ability to take in oxygen, which affects your running performance.
- Medical reasons
Depending on what medication you’re using or the treatment you’re undergoing, you might find it challenging to motivate yourself to exercise or workout properly. Some medications can make you feel drowsy for long hours of the day, while others may put you to sleep. In most cases, your doctor will advise you to limit your workouts until you’re fully fit. Also, be sure to read the side effects of any drug you use to be sure.
While it’s pretty obvious that some medications can affect your workouts, did you know that oral contraceptives can also have some effect? According to experts, oral contraceptives can impair muscle gains in young women. So, if you’re planning on using any birth control option, be sure you know what the side effects are and what options are available to you. You can also consider options like hormonal and copper IUD side effects to know which is best for you.
- Not leaving your comfort zone
Doing the same workout over and over can help you master it, but it can also make it difficult to see improvements after some time. Your body adjusts to the same movement over time, which can cause a significant drop in results. The solution, add variety to your workout sessions.
