Choosing a different seat

Have you ever noticed that people tend to sit in the same pew in church every Sunday? Same is true at school. Even when the teacher doesn't give assigned seats, the students tend to assign seats themselves, rarely shifting from the spot they initially chose.

Well, yesterday, I had an assigned seat realization. I walked in the gym and "my" usual elliptical was taken. So were the other seven. I usually start with 20 to 30 minutes on the elliptical. I could have flip-flopped my routine and started with weights and mat work first. But instead I hopped on the treadmill and alternated between running and fast walking on an incline for 20 minutes.

How strange this new world was. I got a side cramp. The arch of my foot ached. I watched the little dot me making its way around the virtual track on my treadmill screen. It was fun! I was surprising my body by doing something new and unexpected.

Apparently, switching it up is THE way to avoid hitting a wall in your efforts because your body adapts to a routine every two months. For cardiovascular activities, your body adapts by becoming more energy efficient (same routine, fewer calories burned). For resistance training, your body adapts by getting stronger, but then plateaus.

Just want to encourage all of you to pick a different seat today and let your body see the world from a different perspective.