Variety is the spice of life. When it comes to exercise, it might very well be the difference between progress and plateauing. Gen Z likes to mix things up when it comes to fitness, says Akshay Verma, co-founder of Fitpass, a subscription that allows access to multiple gyms, extrapolating on the data of its 600,000 users. Echoing a similar trend globally, Strava’s annual Year in Sport: Trend Report for 2025 also found that more than half of its users track multiple activities, including walking.
Putting all your eggs in one basket is most likely to backfire when it comes to overall fitness. Take for instance some one who only runs, like Pune-based marketing and communications professional Murali Pillai used to when he started running about a decade ago. He ran every single day for months but was forced to stop when he was injured. While regular running had improved his endurance, it had come at the cost of strength in his muscles, leading to injury. Or take the gym rat who loves pumping iron and sports big biceps; they are likely to struggle with anything that requires endurance. Many of them also lose flexibility and their forearms and biceps, especially, become so tight that they have a restricted range of motion.
On the other hand, mixing it up comes with several benefits: Injury prevention, increased strength, less fatigue, higher endurance, improved performance and agility, greater all-round fitness and lower soreness and stiffness. A well-balanced fitness routine includes primary mode of training at various intensities and levels of difficulty, some cross-training and active recovery.
Cross-training is an exercise regimen that uses several types of training to improve overall health and fitness, as defined by The American Council on Exercise. “It is a training routine that focuses on different types of exercises, ranging from weight and power lifting to body weight exercises and gymnastics, that work on multiple muscle groups and can be consolidated into a full body workout,” says Pothen Cherian, a Pune-based Crossfit and weightlifting coach.
Cross-training helps condition different muscle groups and also brings in variety. Cross-training is basis of all sports and athletic training as it helps athletes maintain a high level of fitness. Multiple medal-winning cyclist Naveen Raj cross-trains by turning to running and weight sessions during his off season to maintain his fitness conditioning. “For seven to eight months we are constantly cycling. Picking up some other form of exercise gives those over used muscles an opportunity to recover without letting our fitness levels slip,” says Raj.
Fitness enthusiasts and recreational athletes also need to include various forms of fitness activities in their training regimen. Typically, runners and cyclists ought to include at least two strength training sessions a week. Those who stick to weight training or yoga must include cardio exercises. Another way to add variety is by turning to active recovery. Active recovery refers to the use of aerobic exercise such as cycling, swimming, walking or jogging to encourage the reduction of lactic acid build-up and the increase of blood flow through affected muscles, explains Prof Amite Pankaj Aggarwal, head of the department for orthopaedics at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, in Delhi. Instead of taking a total rest from exercise, you perform aerobic exercises at an easy pace, which aids recovery.
Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.