Sometimes your body will need a little time to make its own adjustments. Do your best to be patient, and eventually it is likely that you will experience your breakthrough.
1. Switch up your routines. It's very frustrating when you hit an exercise plateau and you feel like you just aren't making any progress. One thing you can do is spice up your routine for a week or so and do something completely out of the ordinary. Swimmers can try cross-country running. Runners can try swimming, and so on. Learning a new sport can be fun too. Ever tried to Learn Self Defense? Enrolling in a class and learning self defense techniques could be a lot of fun and just the break your body needs.
2. Dial up your workout intensity. Cross-training is good, but it's not the only way to trick your body. Changing up the level of intensity of your current workout can help you too. One thing you can try is changing how hard you work a couple of times a week. Make Mondays and Thursday, for example, shorter workouts but then increase the intensity by a couple of notches. Going for a long workout can also have benefits, as well as adding weights to your routine. Keep an eye on your heart rate for maximum benefits.
3. Take time off from the norm, and try active rest. By active rest, I mean staying active but doing light, less demanding activities. Walking or playing a game of basketball can work. This way you don't risk atrophied muscles or putting the pounds back on like you would if you just sat out for a week or two. Yoga is another great active rest activity that can improve your stress levels and increase your body's flexibility.
4. Take a good look at the things you eat. As your fitness and endurance levels increase, there is a good chance your body's metabolism is going to change. You might need to take in more calories to keep up with your body's needs. Keeping a food journal can help you analyze what and when you eat. Then you can try ways of altering your daily caloric intake. This can kind of shock your system out of its plateau.
5. Examine your sleep habits. You might need to adjust your sleep routine. If your body does not get all of the sleep it requires for rest and recovery, it could have an impact on your workouts. Everyone has different needs when it comes to sleep, but the best thing you can do for yourself is make sure that you go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up and the same time every morning. They key to getting good sleep is to get at least 8 hours consistently.
It is possible that none of these things will work for you. It is important not to get too worked up about it, as adding additional stress is never a good idea.
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