After working with personal training clients in their homes for the last few years, I've noticed a common issue: Many of them were doing the same workouts for months or even years. That's not surprising, considering that most of us are creatures of habit and, once we find something we like and that seems to be working, why would we want to change that?

The problem is that, when it comes to exercise, whatever you're doing will eventually stop working (if your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight) as your body adapts to it. And that's usually the moment clients call me because they can't figure out what to do.

They're often surprised to learn that small changes can make a difference and most of them are relieved when they free themselves from the old routine in favor of something new and fresh. I had one client who'd been walking on her treadmill every day at the same speed and incline, for the same amount of time. When I started her on Cardio Coach workouts, she said, "I know I'm a reasonably intelligent person, but it never occurred to me to change my workouts. I'm actually enjoying my treadmill for the first time in years!"

What about you? Are you a creature of habit or do you change things up on a regular basis? How much variety do you have in your workout routine? Vote in this week's poll and leave a comment to tell us your thoughts on exercise variety and how important you think that is when it comes to adhering to your program.

• Get Out of Your Rut
• Understanding Plateaus
• Getting the Most Out of Strength Training
• Circuit Training Workouts

Vote in This Week's Poll: How much exercise variety do you have? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 05:00:36.

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I got an interesting comment on a recent post about parents' perceptions of their children's weight and it raises a number of questions about whether schools should track your child's body mass index (BMI). Jean says:

"I just recieved a letter from my daughter's school saying she is overweight, not even at risk of being overweight. My daughter is 9 yrs old and swims on a swim team twice a week, besides just playing outside. I was really upset because I make sure she makes healthy choices and does not sit in front of the tv. She is all muscle, but that is not taken into consideration. Furthermore, the school sells ice cream and honey buns for snacks at lunch. I checked her BMI using other calculators and she comes up being at a healthy weight. I really feel if the school is getting involved they need to consider all factors, including what they serve for lunch. I also do not see any instructional material for parents or children about healthy eating or exercise presented. They really need to practice what they preach and consider the repercussions of their actions."

I'm sure many parents would be upset by getting a note like that from the school, whether it's accurate or not, and it does raise some questions about whether, and how, schools should monitor a child's BMI. There's an interesting study about this in the journal Pediatrics, discussing different ways schools track and use BMI numbers. Some schools, such as those in New York use a 'survellience' method of tracking BMI. The purpose is to gather BMI data anonymously to monitor and track the general obesity levels student-wide.

Other schools, like Jean's, use BMI as a screening tool to help reduce childhood obesity and keep parents informed about their children's weight and health.

Jean's comment raises a number of concerns about the use of BMI as a screening tool. First, should schools even monitor a child's BMI in the first place? Is it an effective tool for reducing childhood obesity? Do we risk putting pressure on kids who may already have problems with body image and fitting in at school? And then there's Jean's concern, that the calculations they're using aren't accurate and that the school isn't taking some responsibility for the problem.

Then there's the issue of BMI itself, which is already a questionable method for determining whether a person is overweight, at least for some populations. Not only that, while it's fairly easy to determine if an adult is overweight, kids are different. They haven't finished growing and the calculations we use for adults won't work for them. There are even special charts and calculators specifically for kids and different ways to determine whether they're overweight.

What's happening in your schools when it comes to BMI and what do you think about it? Are they monitoring this kind of thing in your kids and keeping you informed? Should they? Leave a comment and tell us what's going on and what you think about it. What would you do in Jean's situation?

Should Schools Track Your Child's BMI? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 05:00:23.

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Mike's motivation to lose weight came from health problems, a topic I've touched on this week in previous posts. Specifically, he had cardiovascular disease and, because of the economy and the high price of gas, he stopped his cardiac rehab program and started feeling it when he lost some of the stamina he'd gained.

After joining a program at a local hospital, Mike got back to exercise and lost 14 pounds, but what I love about his story are his simple, effective tips for losing weight. My favorite is: "Don't ever give up on exercise. Take it in small steps to begin with." That is excellent advice and something we all have to remember - slow and steady doesn't lead to the fastest weight loss, but it often leads to the most permanent weight loss.

Read more of Mike's story and be sure to share your own story, if you've got one.

Reader Success Story: How Mike Lost 14 Pounds originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 05:00:32.

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As the heart of winter sets in, you may struggle to find the motivation to exercise. I have the cure for that ho-hum feeling, a list of all the things exercise can do for you.

As I wrote this article, I already knew many of the health benefits of exercise, like lowering high blood pressure and protecting us from future problems like heart disease and some types of cancer. However, going through them all at one time and delving into the research behind these health benefits was really eye-opening. It's amazing that one simple activity (that would be exercise) can worm it's way into every aspect of our lives and make it better physically, emotionally, psychologically and, sometimes, spiritually.

If you're struggling to make exercise a part of your life, maybe this list will give you a nudge in the right direction. Think about it: Just 30 minutes of activity today has the potential to give you a better day and a better future and the only side effect is a little effort and a little sweat.

How has exercise improved your health? Do you have more energy? Have you been able to go off medication because of your workouts? Leave a comment and inspire us with your stories about how exercise has improved your health.

Top Health Benefits of Exercise originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 05:00:42.

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When was the last time you really challenged yourself during your workouts? I'm sure many of you work hard at exercise, but if you've been doing the same thing for awhile, maybe you need a challenge to make things a little more interesting.

If you're game, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take the pushup fitness test to find out where you fall within your age group and gender. For example, if you're a 20-year-old man, being able to do 36 pushups (all with good form) is considered excellent. If you're a 39-year-old woman, doing 27 pushups (on your knees) would put you in the excellent category.

You'll find all the details here, but don't skip it if you can't do the pushups suggested, which are full pushups for men and pushups on the knees for women and involve lowering all the way down until your chin touches the mat. Instead, find a modification you can do and complete as many as you can. Make a note of that number and, in a few weeks, we'll take the challenge again and you can see if you've improved. You can also spend that time working your way up to the suggested pushups.

Last, post your results here and tell us how you did. Is there room for improvement or did you max out? Leave a comment and tell us how you did on the pushup fitness test.

Challenge of the Week: Take the Pushup Fitness Test originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 at 05:04:37.

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Say you start a workout program. You do some cardio, you lift some weights and you feel good about that, but you end up wondering: Is this really working for me? How do I know if I'm doing the right thing to reach my goals?

Assessing your workouts isn't always easy because there are so many ways to exercise. It would be nice if a bell rang or a green light came on every time we got it right, but it usually doesn't happen that way. What often happens is, we try this and we try that and then we go back to the other thing and, maybe, we call in a trainer when we get frustrated.

Sometimes, we use questionable methods to assess our workouts. For example, one of my clients got upset with me at one point because, as she progressed, she wasn't sore after every workout. She mistakenly thought that being sore all the time meant she was getting a good workout.

There are a few questions you can ask yourself about your workouts that can help, but I want to hear your ideas. Whether you're new to exercise or you've been around the block a few times, how do you assess your workouts? Do you wonder if you're on the right track and does that leave you feeling frustrated or confused? Vote in this week's poll and tell us how you evaluate your workouts.

Vote in This Week's Poll: How do you assess the effectiveness of your workouts? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 05:00:52.

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Picture it: You're in a deep, coma-like sleep when your alarm goes off. It's 5:30 in the morning, it's pitch black outside, it's well below freezing and your bed is about as snug and warm as anything you've ever experienced. You turn over and, what you do next will decide your fate. If you snake out an arm, blindly hitting things until you find the snooze button, there's a good chance you'll hit it again...and again...and again. If you throw off the covers, that workout you planned the day before may just become a reality.

We all have those moments when things could go either way, but there are a few questions you should ask yourself before you burrow back under those covers and decide to skip your workout. Will you regret going back to sleep? Will you have a better day if you find the strength to step those bare feet on that cold, hard floor? Find out how you can get yourself moving and leave a comment to tell us how you silence that little voice in your head whispering, "Go back to sleep."

Before You Skip Your Workout originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 05:00:23.

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What motivates a person to lose weight? That's a good question to ponder, especially if you have trouble making the lifestyle changes necessary to get the job done. In some cases the motivation may come from inside - you get tired of being overweight or you put on that pair of pants you just bought, realize you have to go up a size and think, "I'm done with this."

That motivation may also come from the outside. Maybe someone you haven't seen in awhile looks surprised at your weight gain and that one glance is enough to nudge you in a different direction.

In our latest success story, Dee found motivation from both places: "My Girlfriend motivated me the most, and I was tired of being fat!"

Dee's success in losing 40 pounds came slowly with both exercise and a change of diet, but Dee has some great advice for other people trying to lose weight: "The most important thing is to believe in yourself. I know it sounds corny, but it's true."

In fact, believing in yourself may be the most important component of any weight loss journey and what kept Dee going, even when the weight loss was slow. Read more about Dee's inspirational story and be sure to share your own story, if you have one or leave a comment and tell us what qualities help the most when you're trying to lose weight.

Reader Success Story of the Week: How Dee Lost 40 Pounds originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, January 28th, 2010 at 05:00:23.

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