Switching It Up: How to Train Your Body for Real Life

You ever catch yourself going through the motions in life? Same routine, same movements, same everything. It’s easy, right? You know what to do, no surprises, no thinking required. But let’s be real—after a while, that predictability starts feeling like a rut. And here’s the thing: your body feels it, too.

That’s where I found myself today. I’ve got my gym routine locked down—push day for chest and triceps, pull day for back and biceps, and leg day three times a week. It works. But lately? It’s been feeling stale. And if you know me, you know I don’t do stale.

Today, I wanted to mix it up, not just for my muscles but for my brain and nervous system. Because whether you hit the gym or not, keeping your body guessing is key to staying strong and functional—especially when you live with MS or any condition that affects movement.

Why Change Matters (Even If You Don’t Go to the Gym)

Here’s the thing—your body adapts to whatever you repeatedly do. If you always use the same muscles in the same way, your nervous system stops getting challenged, and eventually, you hit a plateau. Worse? You might lose mobility in ways you don’t notice until one day you need to reach, twist, or balance, and suddenly, it’s harder than it used to be.

So today, instead of just sticking to machines, I hit the cable jungle gym. Unlike machines, cables force you to stabilize, engage your core, and really work to control your movements. And if you’re not a gym person? Don’t worry—you can train the same way at home. More on that in a second.

Here’s what I did at the gym today:

Gym Workout

• Seated Rows with a Single-Grip Cable Attachment – Engages the back, core, and stabilizers.
• Woodchoppers (standing, with my leg blocked on the bench) – Rotational core strength, which is essential for real-life movements like twisting, turning, and reaching.
• Standing Single-Arm Presses – A full-body challenge because I had to balance while pressing.
• Dips Off a Bench – Real-life pushing strength, because let’s be honest—you’re more likely to need to push yourself up from a chair than do a seated triceps extension in the wild.

But what if you don’t go to the gym?

Functional Training You Can Do at Home

Listen, not everyone has access to gym equipment—but that doesn’t mean you can’t train your body for real life. Functional movement is everywhere.

Try these at home:

Everyday Strength Exercises

• Toothbrush Balance – Stand on one leg while brushing your teeth. It challenges your balance and works your stabilizer muscles.
• Counter Push-Offs – When cooking or washing dishes, push off the counter like you’re getting out of a chair. Builds upper body strength for real-life pushing movements.
• Seated to Standing Reps – Instead of just sitting down, stand up, sit down, and repeat 10 times. This strengthens your legs and improves mobility.
• Stair Step-Ups – Use the bottom step of your stairs and do slow, controlled step-ups. Helps with balance and coordination.
• Single-Leg Stands While Folding Laundry – Build core and leg strength just by shifting your weight and engaging your muscles while doing daily tasks.

The goal? Keep your body guessing. You never know when you’ll need to rely on strength or stability you didn’t realize was fading.

Keep Moving, No Matter What

By the end of today’s workout, I was cooked. I hadn’t eaten before hitting the gym (hello, fasted workout), so my body went straight into repair mode. And with a storm rolling in later, I could feel the extra fatigue setting in—because yeah, MS adds another layer to all of this.

But here’s what I know for sure: Movement matters. Whether you’re at the gym or at home, whether you’re using cables or just balancing on one leg while you brush your teeth—challenge your body. Train for life. And never stop moving forward.

What’s one simple movement you can start adding to your daily routine? Drop it in the comments—I wanna hear it!