8 Tips on How to Change Your Workout Routine

Eddie Vedder sings, "Routine was the theme, wake up and wash, pour himself into uniform … he was ok but wondering … was he changed by consequence …"

Now, what does an Eddie Vedder lyric have to do with your fitness?

We often can find ourselves drifting into routines (I know I have) that keep us from creating the lives we want; we end up being lost in consequences we didn't intend to have in the first place.

This can have the effect of stalling your fitness results. Your body being a product of evolution adapts easy to routine to conserve energy. So, if you want to avoid the suck of boring routines that no longer shape your butt, tone your abs and have you looking good – get past the boring routine and shake it up to keep results at their maximum and life from being boring.

Everyone needs ways to keep their workouts new and exciting. If you feel as though you've hit a plateau or have lost motivation to get up and move, then try changing up your routine.

1. Change your setting! If you've been walking on a treadmill every day, go outside. If you've worked out at the same gym every time, attend another gym as a guest. Try new at-home exercise equipment or videos.
2. Attend a class! Local gyms, YMCA's, community centers and Meetups have many different physical activity classes. Whether it's kickboxing, step aerobics, mountain biking or any other physical activity, you may find a new activity you enjoy!
3. Remember, "workouts" are not limited to the confines of a gym or studio. Hiking, biking, roller blading, rock climbing, swimming, kayaking and skiing are just a few activities that will give you a great workout and improve your physical fitness. With the growing convenience and quality of at-home exercise options, build yourself a library of activities to try multiple disciplines and workouts.
4. Work out with a partner. A partner can provide you with motivation and support, helping you over those moguls in your fitness program. You are actually 3x more likely to keep the weight off one year later if you workout with a buddy.
5. Consult with a professional. A degreed, nationally certified exercise professional can give you new exercises and activities that are safe, fun and effective. No one likes working out and not getting results. And those magazine articles just won't cut it.
6. Add music to your exercise session. This can keep you energized and motivated. Try it! Music is also proven to help stimulate the body to lift heavier weights and push beyond the normal bounds which means greater results.
7. Sign up for a race or a "competition". Having something to train for makes training exciting, and it increases your motivation. Competition brings out the best in us, and having a reward and sense of accomplishment can take you all the way. Just think of Rocky!
8. Continuously change your routine. Walking for the same amount of time every day or lifting the same repetitions with the same weight every day could make anyone feel stale and unmotivated. Create your resistance training routine so that you are utilizing different exercises, amounts of weight and repetitions. For your cardiovascular exercise, use different amounts of time, different intensities, hills or stairs – whatever it takes to make things new and exciting.

Try these simple strategies to make your workouts fun and stimulating. Good luck, and keep moving!

Discipline is a Game Changer.