Top Reasons Why Your Workouts Aren’t Working (and What You Can Do Instead)

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Are you struggling to reach your weight loss goals, and unsure why? It can be disheartening when you are spending a lot of time and effort exercising, but not seeing any changes.

Everyone is different, and each body will respond differently to exercise, which is why there can be many different reasons why you are not seeing the results that you are after. 

Here are some of the top reasons why your workouts aren’t working for you, and some tips on what you can do instead. 

Time

As hard as it is to admit, seeing results with exercise takes time. For some, you may see drastic changes within 12 weeks. For others, it could take a couple of years to see the same results. Time is a key factor in changing your weight, along with consistency. If you are consistent with your exercise, and your diet, for a long period, then you will see results. Many people think after a short amount of time that the program is not working for them, and give up or change. Exercising should be thought of as a lifetime journey. That will make it much easier to exercise and see results, as you learn to be more patient with yourself, and stick to your routine for a longer period.

Nutrition 

Many fitness experts will tell you that the majority of your weight loss will come from your nutrition. You can exercise as much as you like, but if you have a poor diet, or it is not changed accordingly, then you are unlikely to see results at all, or as quickly as you could be. Nutrition is not necessarily cutting down on calories. Depending on your current circumstances, and what your goals are (e.g. to lose weight or to tone up) there may be different dietary requirements to suit you, including eating more food as your body requires fuel for the extra activity that you are doing. 

To see better results with exercise, try changing your diet to eating wholesome, nutritious foods. Cut down on processed foods and opt for more natural sources of food. Try eating out less, and swap it for cooking fresh meals at home, and swap sugary sweets for baked goods using organic stevia. 

Type of exercise

Everyone is different and will require different types of exercise, especially to align with your goals. While exercise like cardio can be a great aid in weight loss, as well as come with a range of mental and physical health benefits, it’s not going to help you reach your goals if that is all you’re doing. The same goes for specific exercise movements. If you are just doing the same, mundane exercises each day, you are unlikely to see significant changes. While consistency is key, you need to mix up your workouts to suit your goals and challenge yourself each week. 

There are many reasons why you are not seeing the results you want, and these are often the main factors that hinder progress.