Is it time to take a fitness break?

Fitness plateaus happen all the time. They've happened to me, they've happened to you, and they'll happen to anyone who follows a workout regimen at some point or another. Fortunately, it's entirely possible to break through plateaus by changing your workout. However, there are some instances when it seems like no matter what you do, your fitness level refuses to budge.

This stall-out can usually be attributed to a couple of reasons. For one, the plateau you're stuck on really has you spinning your wheels. You're exercising all the time, but not happy with the way you look and feel anymore. Before long, you're just going through the motions and not pushing yourself as hard as you once were. In turn, this lack of effort slows you down after a while, and before long, you've not only kept yourself from moving forward, but you've actually taken a few steps back!

A second way this can happen is when diet is allowed to fall to the wayside a bit. This doesn't mean that you completely deviate from a healthy eating plan, but you instead do more "picking" than you used to. The cookies from the office luncheon, the handful of M&Ms from the bowl on the reception desk, the extra cocktail after work -- it all adds up after a while.

If you feel a touch of exercise and diet burnout -- whether it be manifested from your lack of progress or for reasons unknown -- a good move is to take a short break. A week off will not hurt you. In fact, it may be what saves you from abandoning your healthy program altogether. Before long, you'll be back on track and seeing those new results once again.