#ExerciseBoredom #ExerciseRut
Boredom- a major problem with exercising. Boredom’s not all bad. It motivates us to mix it up and change up the exercises. Do something new. Look at it from a different angle.
But boredom does have a downside. Consistency is King (or Queen). The repetitive behavior and putting an X in the box (I did it, I did it, I did it, I did it) builds skill.
KPIs, Lead, and Lag Measures:
In business, there are this concept key performance indicators. One of the indicators of success is a lead measure (not to be confused with a lag measure). A lag measure is a result. How much money you made at the end of the year is a lag measure. A lag measure is personal training and coaching, which is the result I achieve with a client.
Lead measures are listening to the person describe their problem, understanding the problem, understanding where they are frustrated, and understanding what prevents them from getting to the next step. These indicators help me gather the information necessary to help solve the problem or go further towards progress.
One lead measure I notice that keeps people from getting the outcome (lag measure) they want, boredom. The act of switching is up switches the focus to a lesser valued activity and diminishes the return on the activity. Boredom makes the problem worse when any replacement for the former activity will do (i.e., I found exercises on YouTube, Instagram, or a Magazine to replace my workouts with).
Changing the lead measure and adding variety (with purpose): I love switching it up because it allows for creative problem-solving. The problem is living within the constraints and finding an equal or equivalent value activity to switch it to. If I don’t want to do a lunge, what’s a comparable movement that can similarly work the same muscles.
Essentially, when you make changes to your program, make a logical choice. If you would switch up the entree you normally pick from your favorite restaurant, don’t pick a dessert for dinner (seriously. don’t). They’re not equivalent.
Pick a comparable exercise, not a random one.
