Feeling Bored? Little Ways to Spice Up Your Workout

Making a commitment to an active lifestyle is great for your health. After trying out different forms of exercise and deciding on one that works for you, it can feel great.

For people who have been doing the same form of exercise for a long time, it can get boring – and even risk potential injury. Thankfully, there are small changes you can make in the way you work out that can spice up your routine.

How to mix it up with running

Whether you enjoy walking, running, cycling, swimming, or other forms of aerobic exercise, it’s easy to keep doing the same routine.

Start integrating intervals – short bursts of higher effort, followed by a period of recovery. For example, if you are running, try this:

• Warm up for 10 minutes
• 80-85 percent effort for 90 seconds
• Recovery pace for 90 seconds
• Repeat intervals 3-4 times
• Cool down for 10 minutes

This can improve your fitness, increase your overall stamina and pace, and boost your overall heart health.

How to mix it up with weightlifting

Strength training is essential to building strong muscles and bones. If you are continuously doing dumbbell-related weight training, try focusing on more functional movements.

Functional exercises mimic movements your body is doing in daily life and helps to strengthen the bones and muscles you use for those activities. Exercises you might want to try include:

• Farmer’s carry
• Kettlebell swings
• Deadlifts
• Lunges
• Plank bird dogs

How to mix it up with cardio

Focusing solely on cardio helps with your heart health, but adding in strength training helps your body in several ways. Strength training allows you to build more muscle, improves bone health, boosts your metabolism, and increases flexibility and balance.

Strength training doesn’t have to be long sessions of lifting lots of heavy weights; studies show even strength exercises for 20 minutes 2-3 times a week show health benefits.

General changes to your workout

Bring a friend

Road trips don’t seem quite long when you have someone with you – and the same goes for exercise. You each have someone to talk with, commiserate with, and be accountable to.

Studies show exercising with others has physical, mental, and emotional benefits – including lowering stress, improving quality of life, and even raising the amount of physical effort you put in.

Add music

Research suggests listening to music during physical activity has several benefits – including improved performance, self-satisfaction, and reducing how hard the exercise feels. If you have a favorite album or playlist, it’s a great time to put on headphones and jam out! It can also be a great time to listen to audiobooks and podcasts too.

Go outside

Changing your environment can be a great way to shift your mindset. Whether you are running on a trail, doing yoga at a park, or lifting weights on your porch, being outdoors has health benefits. Studies show being outside lowers cortisol levels and increases vitamin D exposure.