Different Types of Exercise and Why Variety is Important

Variety is the spice of life is a famous saying that we all know of. Now this saying is also apt for your weekly exercise routine. Its important to include different forms of exercises in your exercise regime.

Different types of exercises not only alleviates the boredom but also helps you develops a well-rounded physical experience, keeping your body on its proverbial toes. Focusing solely on one form of exercise may see you excel quickly in that area, but you may also be neglecting the other physical needs, leading to an imbalance in the body and, more importantly, an increase certain health risks.

You need to think of your body as a finely tuned machine, and just like machines they need to be maintained in a variety of ways. Take a car, for instance, it’s not just the engine that has to be in tip-top condition before you head out for a long drive, every bit of the car — oil, breaks, suspension, tires, etc. — needs to be functioning correctly so you can enjoy a safe and smooth journey.

What types of workouts are there?

Now we’ve touched on the necessity for variety, you may be asking, what different types of workouts should I be doing? As always, we’re here to help you reach your fitness goals; the below is a list of different types of exercise and their respective benefits.

Cardio training (aerobic and anaerobic)

Basically, anything that elevates your heart rate to a level above your resting heart rate is cardio.Cardio is probably the most popular type of exercise out there — thanks, Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons. Cardio is also one area of exercise that offers limitless kinds of workouts: walking, running, cycling, cross-country skiing, swimming, dancing, you get the idea. That said, there are also different categories of cardio both aerobic and anaerobic.

Sports

The simple act of playing a sport is often overlooked,while a whole fitness industry is built on goal-oriented workouts tailored to individuals looking to lose weight, get healthy or lean. Sports can go a long way in motivating and keeping you physically active, especially later in life as a genuinely holistic and above all fun form of exercise. Team sports like hockey, basketball and soccer are amazing outlets that balance quality high-intensity training while throwing a ton of fun and a social element into the mix.

Yoga

These days yoga boasts as many styles of the practice as there are ranges of activewear brands. Hatha, Ashtanga, Iyengar, hot yoga, vinyasa flow, Kundalini and yin are a few of the most commonly known ones. What all these practices have in common is the integration of body and breath through stretching, isometric bodyweight exercises, and moving meditation. Regular practice will help mobilize joints, stretch ligaments and strengthen muscles — in summary, keep you limber.

Pilates

Developed by Joseph Pilates, this method of exercise incorporates controlled movements with an emphasis on alignment, breathing and building the core—referred to by Pilates instructors as the “Powerhouse”. Over time Pilates will not only increase flexibility but help improve coordination, balance and all-round stability.

Weight training (resistance training)

A common misconception is that weight training will lead to one outcome and one outcome only — hypertrophy. But in fact, there are many goals you achieve through resistance training with weights in the form rep and set schemes along with the percentages of your 1Rm (1 rep max) that you are lifting.

- Hypertrophy: Enlargement muscles by increasing size of cells in muscle fiber
- Muscular endurance: Ability of muscles to exert tension over a long period of time
- Muscular strength: The amount of force a muscle exerts in a single max. effort
- Cardio training: Using weights or resistance to work your aerobic energy systems

The last bullet point probably caught you off guard, but yes indeed, you can do cardio training through weight training as well. As long as you elevate your heart rate to higher than that of your RHR (resting heart rate), then you’re actually incorporating a cardio element to your workout.

(Image Source: Isagenix Health)

Flexibility training

Flexibility is more than being able to touch your toes, it’s about general musculoskeletal health. While some people are born with natural flexibility, it doesn’t mean that those who aren’t are doomed to have it beyond their grasp. Exercises that facilitate flexibility and mobility, like stretching are often neglected or deemed as ‘not proper’ exercise, as exertion seems minimal at first glance. Disregarding this kind of training from your regular routine is actually doing you a disservice as compromised mobility can limit your range of motion, and stunt your fitness goals, or in the worst case can lead to injury down the line.

Here are some styles of flexibility training that both complement different types of workouts, as well as include strength elements within them.

Mobility work

If you’re looking to release tight, sore muscles after a killer workout, then you may want to check out foam rolling. This form of mobility work, along with other devices like lacrosse balls for trigger points, are an indispensable part of any regular workout regime. Foam rolling offers deep tissue release and can be done pre-workout to warm muscles up or post-workout to alleviate tension.

Reaping the rewards of exercise variety

Now you’ve got the lowdown on the importance of including different types of workouts into your routine and what kinds are out there, you may be interested in how this will impact your overall health and fitness.

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Benefits of cardio:

- Improves cardiorespiratory and pulmonary health, measurable by a lower resting heart rate
- Reduces blood pressure
- Reduce risks of a stroke, heart disease, and eventual heart attack
- Increases circulation
- Lowers the risk of diabetes

Weight training:

- Increases muscle mass, endurance, and strength
- Ramps up your metabolism through increased muscle mass an so burns fat
- Increases bone density, especially vital as women age, due to the risk of osteoporosis
- Builds good posture
- Strengthens joints thus reducing muscular imbalance issues

Flexibility training:

- Increases range of motion
- Releases tension physically and mentally
- Supports spinal musculoskeletal health
- Improves mobility
- Reduces the risk of injury associated with other exercises and movements