Consistency over intensity

You are not alone.

Here is an example of typical pattern of behaviour across a range of activities in our daily lives:

1. Demonstrate strong motivation and excitement in the beginning
2. Engage in high intensity and long duration exercises
3. Experience injury, fatigue, or burn-out
4. Cease the activity

Whether it is diets, exercise routines, hobbies or the setting of financial goals, this cycle is not uncommon. If you are finding yourself in this situation more often than you would like, there is an alternative path.

It’s all about consistency

Instead of focusing on intensity, as we are all guilty of, we can learn to focus on consistency, a method practiced by the best performers, athletes, and entrepreneurs.

By focusing on a consistent routine that is practical, achievable, and enjoyable, we are more likely to stick with it for the long-term and achieve long-term results. Focusing on short-term high intensity activities will likely result in fatigue, injury, burn-out, and ultimately a premature end to our exercise routine. By adopting a consistent long-term approach, we minimise the likelihood of injury and will reach our long-term goals at a faster rate.

Consistency with exercise and wellbeing

When setting our exercise routines and goals, we should remember that consistency is the vehicle that will help us achieve long-term success. By thinking of exercise as a gradual and incremental process, our progress will compound and accelerate over time.

Consistency is just as relevant to our nutritional goals. We are more likely to continue with our nutritional goals if they are gradual, practical, and realistic. Changing our nutritional intake drastically can be very harmful and, in some circumstances, put us at risk of serious health concerns.

In summary, the longer we are consistent with our physical training and nutritional goals, the better we will become mentally and physically.

What might a consistent approach to diet and exercise look like?

• Exercising on the days you schedule to exercise
• Not ceasing an activity
• Using lighter weights
• Adopting shorter sessions and lower intensity
• Following a healthy and balanced nutritional plan set by a dietitian, GP or other qualified health practitioner

If you are interested in finding out more about setting a consistent routine to achieve long-term results, contact one of our exercise physiologists. We are here to provide advice and tailor an individual plan to achieve your goals without risk of injury, fatigue, or burn-out.

Written by exercise physiologist Aric Visentin