Variety — Dare to do something different
We humans are creatures of habit. We love our routines, our way of doing things, and our traditions. Doing the same thing is comfortable because it feels familiar. It feels “normal”. We don’t have to think too hard because we instinctively know how it is done. We become experts at the monotonous routines that define us.
When we attempt something new, we are no longer experts. We become beginners or just mere amateurs. It is no longer comfortable, familiar, or normal. We have to think way too hard. We have to train our brains or bodies on the new way of doing things. It may be a big hit on our ego. For many people, doing something new is just too hard. So, it feels easier to just drift back into those monotonous routines.
I try to work out at least five times a week. It is the one area of my life that I feel totally in control of myself. It gives me that natural adrenaline that gets me through the rest of the day.
When I go to a health club or workout facility, I tend to see the same familiar faces. And most of those faces tend to have the same routine. When one of the regulars enters the facility, I can usually guess with 90% accuracy where they are headed. Some people tend to hop on the treadmill. Others gravitate toward the free weights. Some are typically found on the stationary bike, and others prefer the elliptical machine.
This is not a criticism of those people — I have tremendous respect for anyone who cares about their physical health. It is just an observation I can’t help but notice. And I notice it because I wonder how they don’t die of boredom doing the same exercise routine every single time.
My workout routine seems very atypical than most. On any given day I might do any of the four machines mentioned above. Other days, I choose to do either weight-lifting, conditioning, core training, rowing machine, stair master, Jacobs Ladder, lateral trainer, or just running outside. I love the variety of doing something different, and I especially like that different muscle groups are impacted each time.
Some exercise equipment are almost always empty when I see them: the rowing machine and the Jacobs ladder. Those two machines give the best full-body workouts of any others in the entire health club, but both are rarely in use. Selfishly, it benefits me, because they are usually available on the days I want to use them.
Why won’t more people give these little-used machines a try? Both burn almost as many calories as the treadmill. Is it the awkwardness of getting the form right? Is it the fear of looking stupid doing it? Is it just too difficult to get started? Do people assume if no one else is using them that they must not be any good? Some claim they are boring and tedious to use, but that’s a cop-out because you can say the same thing about a treadmill or elliptical machine.
There was a day in the past when I would walk past those machines myself. I didn’t pay much attention to them because no one else paid any attention to them either. But one day, being totally bored with the monotony of my current routine, I sat down on the rowing machine and gave it a try. It was awkward at first because the motion of rowing is not as easy as it looks. But over time, it got easier and now I love it.
Then, a few years ago, I tried the Jacobs ladder. That machine helped me discover muscles I never knew I had, because I was sore as hell for a few days afterward. But, like the rowing machine, once you get used to the motions, it feels great.
The lateral trainer is a newer machine in health clubs. Think of an elliptical, but you’re moving your legs in a circular motion side-to-side, instead of forward-backward. While on it one day, I caught myself in a mirror, and I looked ridiculous. But it is really good for the leg muscles you wouldn’t normally use when running.
What I notice about people who consistently do the same exercises is they seem more susceptible to injury. When the same muscles or joints are impacted, they simply wear out quicker. But when you shake things up by trying something different or doing a variety of exercise routines, there is less strain on any one body part, and your entire body benefits as a result.
With running, you simply start one foot at a time. Then it builds to one mile. Then multiple miles. But it all starts by just starting.
The point of this story is not necessarily to get people to exercise more, although I would be flattered if this motivated someone to do so. The bigger picture is that there are so many new things to try in this world. If you are sinking in monotony, you are dying a slow death, whether you realize it or not.
What are some ways to build variety in your life?
- That new ethnic restaurant you’ve been leery to try because you never had that kind of food before? Just try it.
- Bored with the same vacation spot year after year? Try a new destination. I have been to some fantastic places, but I won’t go back again, because there are so many other places in the world left to visit.
- Take a different route to or from your workplace.
- Change your morning routine. This might be hitting a nerve, because morning rituals are sacred for some people. But try it anyway. For example, switch the order that you eat breakfast or shower.
- Paint a room in your house. Haven’t you been looking at the same color long enough?
- Try that new TV show people are talking about, even if it is a different genre.
There are so many other options, but you probably get my point.
Former President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “We must all either wear out or rust out. My choice is to wear out.”
The monotony and boredom you may feel sometimes is the rust building up in your soul. The variety we incorporate into our lives and new ventures we pursue may wear us down over time, but I challenge anyone not to want to take that chance. So let’s make it our mission to shake the rust off and wear out with pride.
