Fizzled Fitness Routine? It’s Time to Focus!

So maybe you like flipping through Men’s Health while you run laps on the treadmill. Or your fitness hour coincides with White Collar on Tuesday nights, so you naturally combine the two. There’s nothing wrong reading or watching TV while you work out, right?

Wrong.

In fact, this exercise multi-tasking could be the one thing standing between you and your fitness goals.

Researchers say that multi-tasking is killing our productivity at work. Guess what? It’s doing the same thing at the gym. “It’s like playing tennis with three balls,” says Edward M. Hallowell, an expert on both multi-tasking and ADD (no coincidence, I’m sure). “It gives the illusion that we’re simultaneously tasking, but we’re really not.”

We tote a book to the gym thinking we’re killing two birds with one stone, but as Hallowell reveals, we’re doing the opposite: throwing two stones, and missing both times.

Plan on getting back into that swimsuit this summer? Better bring some Zen to your workout.

READ ’EM AND WEEP

Personally, I don’t understand how anyone can exercise and read at the same time. I tried it and the results were catastrophic: my feet seem to find every part of the treadmill except the conveyor belt. But people do it.

The problem is that when you’re not paying attention to your workout, it’s easy to lose steam. Especially when you’re performing a repetitive activity on a stationary machine. As soon as that People celeb story gets juicy, you might not realize your legs have completely stopped moving.

So, not only are you spending an hour “spinning your wheels” on the stationary bike, but you’re probably not soaking up much of what you’re reading. That means tomorrow you’ll have to work out again and reread that novel.

Not so time-efficient after all, is it?

HITTING A WALL

Even if you don’t misstep on the treadmill and literally hit a wall, you can be sure your weight loss results will. Zoning out lets you to get comfortable with your routine and stop thinking of ways to switch it up. The body will always adjust to exercise. You need to vary your workouts regularly to keep seeing results.

That’s why interval training is so effective. Not only does it keep the body off balance, but it demands total engagement. Just try to read while pounding out 50 jumping jacks or crab-walking at full speed.

Reading isn’t the only diversion: watching TV, talking, texting… all will lead straight to an exercise plateau. Music can add pep to your step, as long as you’re listening to something upbeat. But ultimately, ditching all the distractions—we know it’s hard, but just try!—will give you the body you really want.

BENEFITS OF A FOCUSED WORKOUT

To make your workouts more efficient, it’s time to start tuning in (to the workout, not the TV). When you focus on your breathing, you will have more oxygen and energy for your workout. And when you zero in on your posture and form, you’ll have maximum strength to perform each movement. You’ll also remember to engage all your muscles for those compounded results you’re really after. Take this example:

• Deadlifts while watching TV = stronger arms and improved balance
• Deadlifts while focusing on deadlifts = stronger arms, improved balance, solid core, stronger legs, tighter glutes

Now, doesn’t the latter seem like a smarter kind of multi-tasking? And by performing each movement with deliberation, you’re also less likely to over-train or injure yourself.

BUT EXERCISE IS BORING…

So make it fun! Get creative with your routine. Put together a high-energy playlist. Buy a new pair of shoes, or work out in your “energy” color. Mindset is key to getting in shape, and giving your exercise plan a little love is the first step to changing your attitude about it.

If you have exercise ennui, we recommend doing interval training and metabolic circuits. Do you get claustrophobic at the gym? Then take a fitness/dance class or do martial arts in the park. Can’t stay focused without a performance goal? Train for a bike race or triathlon, or join a sports team.

If you’re one of those people who really hates to work out, then you’re only hurting yourself by tuning out: you’ll just have to spend twice as long at the gym!

Which sounds better: dragging yourself through an hour on the elliptical while watching Oprah reruns, or cranking out a metabolic circuit (and tripling your fitness results) in 20 minutes?

What’s your take — multi-task while exercising or work up a sweat in silence?

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Chelsea Bush is a writer on the Ask Fitness Coach team and has covered fitness, health and wellness topics for several magazines. Her favorite ways to get fit: pilates, cycling, resistance training and traveling. Follow her on Twitter @chelseawriting Have a fitness question? I'll help! Just click on 'Ask a Question' at the top of the page and ask away!

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