I’m not a huge fan of exercise, but I do like the way I feel when I get into an exercise routine. My neurologist told me there’s evidence to suggest that regular exercise may not only reduce the intensity of migraines, but decrease their occurrence, as well. So far, my experience has not suggested such, but I do feel better overall. However, I want more from exercise than to feel better. I want to look better, too! Is that asking too much?

I don’t overeat, and generally try to eat healthy well-balanced meals. I do enjoy a dessert now and again, but not on a daily basis. So if I’m exercising and not overeating, why is the scale not budging? And, as I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve actually gained five pounds this year without changing my eating or exercise habits.

I’ve been walking on our treadmill at 18.1 minutes per mile with an incline of three percent for 30 minutes. I decided to see what would happen if I jogged at the same rate. Not wanting to impact my joints, I jogged for two minutes then walked one minute throughout the 30 minutes. I did see a small dip in my weight for about a week, but then nothing.

My hypothesis is that my body has adapted to the exercise, rendering it powerless to kick those extra pounds. I’ve not found any research to back up my hypothesis, but I did find one article on Livestrong.com addressing this topic. “Performing the same workout regimen repetitively for long periods of time can decrease effectiveness, increase mental boredom and cause plateaus in progress.”

My new plan is to do the treadmill on Monday and Friday, Zumba on Tuesday and Thursday and Yoga on Wednesday. I don’t do Zumba or Yoga with a great deal of *finesse, so I’m grateful for the Wii versions I can do in the privacy of my home! While doing Zumba, I don’t worry too much if I miss steps – I just keep moving. Yoga reveals my core strength to be similar to that of a wet noodle, but that just leaves a lot of room for improvement! 

My workout finesse level: 
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What’s your workout finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)