News
Should you do the same exercises every day?
By Brian Foley from Activate Fitness
Being active is great - but what if you do the same exercises every single day - will that help you stay fit?
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Here’s the answer:
If you have a fitness regime in place but always do the same thing, you’ll get some of the benefits of activity, but you won’t get all of them. With some adjustments, your hard work could create even greater results.
For example, someone who runs three kilometres at the same pace every single day is going to be much better off than someone who isn’t active at all. Running has many benefits; physiological and psychological and works your cardiovascular (heart and lungs) system, and regular activity is great for maintaining your health.
But the body adapts to the demands on it, and once it’s adapted to be able to run three kilometres at a certain pace, it doesn’t make any additional changes. You still burn calories, get your heart working and use your muscles, but you won’t get a lot fitter. You won’t continue to get faster or stronger. In training, we call this “hitting a plateau”. Improvements stop, and sometimes you might even slide backwards a little.
To make further improvements, you need to change things to put new stresses on the body and force it to adapt.
For example, you could run three kilometres in less time, you could run four kilometres, or you could do three one kilometre intervals at a very fast pace with rest between efforts. All these variations still involve running but would cause your body to make positive changes again.
It’s the same thing with weight training. If you do dumbbell biceps curls for three sets of eight reps at 5kg every day, your body won’t change much. It has the capacity to do the work, so it doesn’t add more. But if you asked it for three sets of 10 reps, or to move 8kgs instead of 5kg, it would adapt to accomplish the effort. Your muscles would grow.
So if changes to your routine are needed to keep making progress, how do you know what to change and when? That’s where a competent coach comes in.
HOW A COACH CAN HELP
First, you must get the right programme in place to start, and it should be based on your exact health and fitness goals. Some people just take a routine from a magazine or the Internet and do it over and over. Again, it’s great to get moving, but that routine won’t be perfect for you, and your needs will change.
When we create programmes we find out exactly what people want to accomplish, and then we put an ideal plan together.
Then we monitor progress, and we evaluate daily, weekly and monthly results. Because we’re experts, we can tell when you’re ready for a new challenge that will ensure you’re always moving forward. Programmes are constantly updated to ensure you’re training optimally.
Beyond physical adaptation, there’s also something else to consider: boredom. By including some variation in your programme, we’ll keep you interested and engaged.
Running the same three kilometres every day on the same path can grow stale, and sometimes boredom makes people quit activities.
But what if we had you do that three kilometres on a more rugged trail that challenges your balance and strength with obstacles and climbs? Or what if we had you stop running every 500m and perform 10 lunges?
A good coach is always working to make sure a client is moving toward goals as quickly as possible while staying motivated.
LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR TRAINING PLAN!
If you’re already active but feeling bored with your routine, we can energise you by setting some goals and adjusting your training plan. If you like your current routine but have stopped making progress, we can help you start moving forward again while maintaining some of the elements you enjoy.
And if you’re thinking about becoming active, we can make sure you start on the right foot and continue moving forward for years.
With a coach behind you, you’ll never hit a plateau or experience boredom. Instead, you’ll make steady progress toward your goals.
To find out how a coach can help you, book a free consultation with us by visiting www.activate.ie.
Adventure runner completes all Dublin streets
Killarney native Seanie Clifford has completed an extraordinary 25-day endurance challenge that saw him run all 4,400 named streets in Dublin while sleeping rough on the city’s pavements every night.
The local athlete completed his final stretch in the capital on Saturday, August 29, after covering a total distance of 2,000 kilometres. Running under the project banner 4400 Streets & Nowhere to Go, Clifford undertook the gruelling schedule to raise vital funds for Focus Ireland, Liberty Soup Run, and Dublin Homeless Awareness.
To mirror the reality faced by thousands of individuals across the country, the Killarney man spent 25 consecutive nights sleeping out on the very streets he ran during the day. Averaging close to 80 kilometres every 24 hours, he navigated heavy traffic, intense asphalt heat, and constant route adjustments alongside his partner and sole support crew member, Alicja.
Reflecting on the experience, Clifford praised the overwhelming backing he received from members of the public throughout the capital. He stated that he went into the challenge with extreme positivity and was rewarded with extraordinary kindness from people across Dublin, with residents from Ballymun to Donnybrook coming out to offer support.
Local support carries
By the midpoint of the challenge, physical exhaustion presented severe hurdles. However, local running clubs and individuals joined Clifford on various sections of the daily routes to assist his progress.
On Day 12, runners from Artane Beaumont Running Club and local supporters joined him on the road, allowing him to complete his daily 80-kilometre target ahead of schedule as community support carried him through the toughest miles.
The final stage of the run coincided with the release of official monthly figures from the Department of Housing, which recorded a record 17,527 people living in emergency accommodation across the country, including 5,659 children.
During the closing days of the project, Clifford was invited into Leinster House to meet with TDs and discuss the conditions he witnessed while sleeping on the streets. He stressed throughout the campaign that while his temporary homelessness would end with a return home to Kerry, thousands of families across Ireland remain without permanent shelter.
Triple Crown completed
Following his arrival at the final street, members of the national ultra-running community confirmed that Clifford had achieved what is widely regarded as the Triple Crown of Irish Endurance.
A former student of St Oliver’s Primary School and St Brendan’s College in Killarney, Clifford first set a national record in 2024 by running all 275 Irish mountains over 600 metres in 21 days. In 2025, he ran the entire 2,700-kilometre length of the Wild Atlantic Way from Malin Head to Kinsale in under 30 days.
Despite his previous mountain and coastal records, Clifford described the urban street challenge through Dublin as his most difficult undertaking to date.
Clifford, who now organises trail running retreats and uses endurance projects to highlight mental health and social issues, finished his final street run on Saturday afternoon to complete the historic trilogy of Irish endurance challenges.
Kerry Stars volunteer appreciation night
Kerry Stars Special Olympics Sports Club hosted a volunteer appreciation night at the International Hotel on Monday, August 31, ahead of the upcoming sports season.
The event brought together both new and long-standing volunteers to celebrate their contribution to the club, which provides sporting opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities across the region.
Run entirely by volunteers, the club relies on helpers who dedicate an hour each week from September through May. The gathering provided a chance to recognise their effort following a successful summer where four Kerry Stars athletes secured a haul of gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Special Olympics Ireland Summer Games in June.
The club caters to both competitive athletes and members who participate primarily for the social aspect and inclusion. With the new season resuming in mid-September, Kerry Stars is inviting new volunteers and athletes to join its weekly training schedule.
Weekly sessions take place at various local venues, including Monday athletics at Spa GAA from 6pm to 7pm, Wednesday basketball at Killarney Sports and Leisure Centre from 7pm to 8pm, and Thursday soccer at the same location from 7pm to 8pm. The club also runs therapeutic horse riding and swimming programs in Killarney and Tralee, both of which currently operate waiting lists.
Anyone interested in getting involved as a volunteer or athlete can contact the club directly at kerrystars63@gmail.com.
Adventure runner completes all Dublin streets
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