Mix it up, work it out: changing your workout routine - Fitness and Wellbeing

Mix it up, work it out: changing your workout routine

You've gone through the effort of getting yourself into a workout routine. And sure - it was tough at first; but you inevitably saw the changes in your body and even started enjoying that post-workout feeling of having done something good for yourself. But a few months into your routine, you're starting to feel a bit 'been there, done that'. Is your motivation just fading? Or is your body actually telling you that it's bored with its routine?

It could be both - but chances are, the latter got the ball rolling. After all, if your body isn't engaged with what it's doing at the gym, how is your mind supposed to stay interested?

Many fitness gurus will tell you that if you don't change up your workout routine on a regular basis, your body will eventually hit a plateau. The results? That's just the problem - there seem to be no further results from your workout routine at that point! If you're seeing a dip in your fitness results, or you're just getting plain old bored with your workout routine, it's a sure sign that it's time to change things up. So what, exactly, is a 'dip' in your fitness? It could be anything from a lack of occasional soreness in your muscles (when you work them out, you'll feel it!) to a halt in toning or weight loss. It might even just be that a cardio workout routine you started out with just isn't getting your heart rate going as much.

For instance, if you've been doing 40-minute workout sessions on the Elliptical machine for the last few months, it's likely that your workout routine is now easier than when you first started. And while improvement in your fitness and workout abilities is positive, you also need to keep challenging your body with a fresh workout routine if you want to continue seeing results. Often, you'll find that as soon as you switch up your workout routine, your muscles will be sore the next day. That's just your body waking up to a new, more challenging workout routine.

But it doesn't always take much to shake up a workout routine: for instance, if you've been walking or running on a treadmill, change to an outdoor workout. If your normal workout routine consists of brisk-walking outdoors, try to speed it up to a jog. Or perhaps change your route to include more hills, giving your legs and bum a better workout. And if you want to work out your upper body, try running or walking with a light set of weights. Changing your workout can be as simple as upping your intensity or the length of your workout routine - so make the appropriate changes to your routine and stay on track.

You can also introduce new elements into your workout routine to increase its effectiveness. For instance, if you're not too keen on any workout machine other than the treadmill, you can pair your running routine with a gym class or home-workout DVD. Anything from Pilates and Yoga to a toning and strengthening workout session could be just the thing to re-vamp your all-too-routine workout regime.

So if results are at a standstill, change up your workout routine. You'll challenge your body and just as important, you'll keep from getting bored with fitness.