Beating the Workout Blues

Even those who have the time to workout and don’t find it utterly exhausting often avoid it because, well, it’s boring. In fact, boredom can be attributed to the number one reason so many people are out of shape. Twenty minutes on the treadmill feels like an hour; a workout tape at home is utterly blah, especially when you work out with the same one over and over again. Fighting boredom is an important part of keeping on top of your fitness goals. Here are a few tricks that can help.

Change it up. While a steady fitness routine grants steady results, changing up your exercise routines will target more body areas and still give you excellent progress. You will feel different parts of your muscles get sore, a sure sign that the program is working. Learning new exercises can be fun and keeps you from getting bored of the same ones.

Swap it out. If you use at-home videos for your workout, using the same video can get incredibly monotonous. After a while, you will find that you have the whole routine memorized! Use an assortment of videos to keep yourself from getting bored. Winsor Pilates comes in a neat set of videos that target different body parts, so you can mix and match your workout on a day to day basis. Or swap out videos with your fitness buddies, just as you’d trade books or movies. A new routine can be fun, exciting, and help you stay motivated.

Add some tunes. Let’s admit it. A lot of home exercise videos could use some definite assistance in the music department. If you’re trying workouts at home, even without a video, the birds chirping isn’t exactly motivating audio material. Adding upbeat music helps you want to groove along and can actually speed up your workout.

Take a walk. Who said you had to work out at home? Changing locales can definitely change up your routine and make it more interesting. If you usually run at a track or around your neighborhood, try a different buddy’s neighborhood or a new track. You can also try new parks or seaside locations. The added scenery will add some definite pizzazz to your fitness routine.