Do You Need to Be Structured or Unstructured to Exercise?

Are you a structured person or do you need to have unstructured exercise in order to keep it exciting for you? Let’s set some guidelines in order to help you progress in your exercise.

Structured People

My fiancé is very structured. She needs to know every aspect of exercise and plan accordingly. She attempts to plan for the exact time of day to exercise. She needs to know that her environment is stable with a constant cool temperature. She needs to know what equipment is available to her and she needs to know the exact exercise routine she will be doing. She finally needs to know where she is heading in her progressive routine. Anything other than this is chaos and there doesn’t seem to be a point to it. She gets anxious and doesn’t want to do it if it doesn’t follow her needs.

Does this sound like you too? Cool. Don’t think there is anything wrong with you. Embrace what you need in order to exercise. Plan out your routine and training situation. Make sure you have it the way you like it. Also, put your routine time into your calendar and STICK TO IT! Not sticking to it will create a sense of hopelessness and if you find yourself doing that, then tweek areas until you find the right mix. Once you find the correct ingredients, follow a progressive exercise plan that challenges you and your body to respond in a positive way. You still don’t feel in control? Find a truly qualified personal trainer or group class that follows the rules of proper body transformation to help you along the way.

Unstructured People

If you are an unstructured person, you need to have variety in your workouts. You need to not be confined to a certain way of doing things and you are constantly looking for ways to make your exercise routines more fun and exciting. OK, this is good! However, let’s give you a few guidelines in order to keep your free-spirit mind from going over the deep-end (literally) while still getting that creative need out of you.

A good exercise program allows you to vary your workouts. You like this of course! Just remember to make your exercise progressive. Go for a hike. Do your entire resistance training outside with nothing but your bodyweight and the environment as equipment. Try a new sport. Explore new ways to do the same old exercises. Just keep it safe and progressive and that’s all you need! Progression refers to intensity of exercise, focus of exercise, and duration of exercise. Progress in duration of exercise until you need to increase its intensity. Also, if you did a lot of lower body exercise one day, make sure you incorporate some upper body movements the next time. For example, if you played basketball for cardio, which is great of the lower body, try canoeing later in the week for some upper bodywork too. Not sure how to do this and need new and better ideas? Find a truly qualified personal trainer or group class that follows the rules of proper body transformation to help you along the way!

Of course you could be a hybrid of the two people, which is sort of like me. I need unstructured structure if that makes sense. Pick and choose the elements for your particular needs. Have fun! Be safe! Get results!

Be Better!

Dexter