As we get older, we tend to have developed routines that guide us through most days. We may eat the same things, exercise the same way, and think the same thoughts we thought the day before. Routines are useful because they allow us to perform many functions without needing to think or make decisions about each one. However, they can also negatively affect our health and the ability to function optimally.
There is an endless number of choices in the world and it is impossible in one lifetime to sample everything. When it comes to food and exercise, it isn’t always practical to change what you do every day. It is important though to experiment and try new things for both physical and mental health.
Action – With food, eating a variety of different things increases the chances that you are getting all of the essential vitamins and minerals. Eating the same foods all of the time can often lead to deficiencies in some nutrients and possible excesses in others. The body is amazing and spends most of its time trying to maintain homeostasis, or balance. The choices that you repetitively make either assist the body to function well or make its task very difficult.
With exercise, it is well-known that there is a physical adaptation that occurs if you always do the same thing. The body quickly adapts to various stresses and will limit the amount of effort it takes to perform an exercise. For instance, when you first start lifting weights you can achieve an increase in muscle mass quickly, but then the gains slow down and you need to challenge yourself with more weight and different lifts.
Steps – There are groups of food that are similar, and within each group there are many different varieties. While the characteristics of the groups can be similar in terms of nutrition, the individual foods can be very different in nutritional profile. Fruit, for example, is mostly filled with healthy choices that are antioxidant-rich and hydrating. But bananas are much different from cherries, and oranges are not the same as avocados. Sticking to one or two kinds of fruit limits the potential to eat an optimal diet.
Exercise is the same. Always going for a run can be stressful on the hips and knees, and only doing weight training can cause you to lose flexibility. It is important to vary an exercise routine to avoid overtraining and burnout that often accompanies emphasizing only one type. Quicker progress can be seen if you change what you do often enough that the body doesn’t become too efficient and is no longer challenged to adapt.
Why It Makes You Feel Better – Variety is the spice of life, as the saying goes. Routines can become boring and lack challenge and excitement. That is why going on vacation can be so refreshing – new food, new sights, and a drastic change in your schedule all add up to a mental and physical reset that is enjoyable.
Example – Find ways to vary your routine throughout the year by trying new meals or exercise or activities. Go for a walk instead of going to yoga class. Eat pancakes with fruit for supper. Try a type of food you haven’t had, like Ethiopian or Korean. Change is like taking a little vacation without having to travel anywhere.
Look for ways to increase the variety in your life and appreciate that we are surrounded with choices and the ability to enjoy it all.