Copyright (c) 2007 Jess Harley
Does this sound familiar to you? You join a gym or start a new exercise routine and spend a few weeks or maybe even months following it religiously. Then, slowly something starts to change. The motivation you felt on your way to the gym is no longer there. The inspiration you had to go those extra 15 minutes on your exercise routine is no where to be found. The worst has happened. Your exercise has become boring.
The quickest and perhaps easiest solution to this is to change your routine. If you are going to the gym and working out on the same cardio machines over and over again, then chances are it will get pretty old after a while. Now could be the perfect time to try one a class your gym might offer. Chances are your gym offers a wide selection of classes from spinning to step classes and everything in-between. Taking a class will be a change of pace for you and you might find the group setting more enjoyable than just working out on a stationary cardio machine. There are also some excellent strength training classes which will come in handy if the thought of picking up a dumbbell turns you green.
If workout videos are part of your exercise routine, you might want to switch it up and try a new one. I was a huge fan of Leslie Sans one's Walk Away the Pounds and would look forward to each workout. Suddenly though there came a time where I thought if I watched this video one more time I was going to through my TV out of the window. I realized I needed to invest in some new videos to keep me interested in working out. I tried out a few other exercise routines from The Firm, to Turbo Jam and found a few I like that I now rotate through.
If walking or running is your choice of movement, there are many things you can do to make it interesting again. If you walk or run the same path every day, try taking a different one. The new sights and sounds might make it appealing to you again. If you are not already, take some music with you. Today's choice of musical accompaniment comes in the form of an I-pod and can fit nicely in your pocket.
Another idea that will work for any situation is getting a workout buddy. There are so many benefits to having a workout buddy, it is surprising that gyms don't pair you up with one when you start! Having a workout buddy can motivate you even when you don't want to because you know someone is counting on you! Most of us do not like to let people down. Having a workout buddy at a gym is encouraging also. It is nice to have someone to talk to you or at least try to talk to you as your work out and you never know your buddy might convince you to take that spinning class you have been to nervous to try. A few things to keep in mind when finding someone to be your workout buddy. First you want to make sure they have the same fitness level as you. A friend of mine convinced me to join her gym so she would have someone to work out with and I was embarrassed my first day when she did 45 minutes on the Elliptical and I could barely get through 20. Needless to say I never workout with her again. Second, find someone who has the same fitness goals as you. If you want to lose a lot of weight, you want to find someone who has that same goal in mind. If you are just looking to tone up, then working out with someone who wants to lose a lot of weight is not a good idea because you have to do different exercises. Finally, find someone with whom you have a lot in common with. If you don't work out in a gym , and you have a walking buddy you want to make sure that you feel comfortable with that person. Chances are that you will be spending a lot of time with that person and you want to make sure conversation comes naturally so that the time you spend together working out is fun and entertaining that way you both keep coming back for me.
One of the biggest reasons why people stop exercising is because it gets boring. By keeping these ideas in mind, you should be able to keep your routine fun and exciting!
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