The Climb: Fitness Plateaus and Why You Need Them
Do you ever feel like you’re fighting an uphill fitness battle to no avail? We’ve all been there — eating healthy, getting ourselves to the gym every day, giving 100% effort in every workout, and suffering through aches and pains and two-a-day workouts only to feel like we have nothing to show for it.
Welcome to the all-the-time climb. We want results — and we want them now! But wouldn’t it be nice to give ourselves a break?
In the fitness world, a plateau is most often thought of as a negative term to describe the period of time when your best efforts produce no progress. In reality, a plateau can be the best thing to happen to you in your fitness journey.
If you were climbing a steep mountain, would you welcome a plateau? Of course you would! It would give you the flat terrain needed to rest your legs, put your backpack down and prepare for the next climb. A fitness plateau is no different. It allows you the opportunity to stop and rest, to gather your strength for the next leg of the journey and then attack it head-on with all your strength.
Outlined in the graph below, there are two ways your fitness journey can progress over time.
The red line represents making several difficult changes all at once and sticking with them until you get to where you want to go, no matter how difficult the climb. It’s a fast and effective way to the top — if you end up making it there in one piece.
In contrast, the blue line represents a series of climbs and resting points (plateaus). With the blue journey, you progress and then level off, preparing for the next period of change. In this case, the plateau allows you to gather the strength and resources to make the next change.
Which journey would you rather be on?
Consider this real-world example. Exerciser A, Danny, represents the red line of progress. Danny is an all-or-nothing individual who wants to reach his goals as soon as he can. Danny woke up a month ago and decided he was going to get in shape cold turkey, so he immediately started eating healthy. He now performs 150 minutes of cardio a week, weight trains twice a week and attends yoga classes on the weekend. Danny’s progress is phenomenal, and he has lost some weight and built muscle. However, after four weeks of hard training, he feels overworked and decides to give it a rest for a while, reverting back to his old habits.
In contrast, exerciser B, Jenna, represents the blue line of progress. Jenna also woke up a month ago seeking a healthier lifestyle but was hesitant to make changes and worried about the time she would have to spend exercising. She decided to start by making one better nutritional change. She soon added another nutrition change, and, over time, has learned to eat healthier. After four weeks of healthy eating, Jenna dropped a dress size and felt fantastic and full of energy.
Healthy eating is now second nature to Jenna, but she has plateaued in her weight loss. She decides she is ready to tackle the next part of her journey: incorporating cardio into her routine. For the next several weeks, Jenna continues to eat healthy while also performing 150 minutes of walking a week, which helps her drop three more dress sizes.
At this point, she is feeling more confident than ever, but her progress begins to slow once more — so she decides to add weight training and yoga to her weekly fitness plan. Building upon her solid foundation of proper nutrition and cardio exercise, Jenna begins strength training twice a week and attends a yoga class every other weekend. This pushes her progress to new heights, and she meets her weight loss goal, builds muscle and feels great in her new healthy lifestyle.
Because she took the slow and steady route, welcoming plateaus in her progress, there is no turning back for Jenna. She has changed physically and emotionally, and she has no plans of reverting back to her old inactive habits.
When it comes to fitness and reaching your goals, it’s important to remember that it’s a long journey —but it doesn’t have to be a difficult one. Make small changes, and allow your body time to adapt before taking on the next challenge. Embrace the plateau, take a deep breath and keep climbing.
“Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll see further.” —Zig Ziglar
About the author
Ms. Megan Petriello is an Assistant Vice President, Assistant Team Leader and a Fitness and Wellness Specialist on the Slainte Fitness team at USLI. Ms. Petriello enjoys staying active by teaching HIIT classes, running and strength training. Ms. Petriello gets the most enjoyment from living an active lifestyle, and she is an avid believer in the power of positive thinking!