Are you suffering from workout boredom? Doing the same tired exercises at the gym or in your home can quickly squelch your enthusiasm for exercise – even if you work out at a fancy health club. The solution? Try some new exercises and change the backdrop a little, in other words – add some variety. This will not only rekindle your enthusiasm for working out, but it’ll help you break through a fitness plateau. Here are some places to workout that’ll shake up a stale fitness routine.
New Workout Places: Find a Trail
Nothing busts workout boredom faster than exercising in the great outdoors. Instead of walking or running on the treadmill in the gym, find an exercise trail in your area – and make it your next workout destination. To find a local trail, use a free online service such as traillink.com to quickly find running, hiking, and biking trails in your area. Whether you choose to walk it, jog it, or bike it, trail exercising is good for both mind and body – and a great way to enjoy nature. For an added challenge, wear a backpack while hiking.
Fun Places to Exercise: The Park
Parks are not just for kids anymore. They’re also a convenient place to shake up a stale fitness routine. Look for a park that has a path with exercise stations along its course. Each station illustrates a different exercise to do as you progress along the trail. After you’ve conquered each exercise station, head over to the swing set and monkey bars. Do some pull-ups on the monkey bars, then head to the swings and pump your legs as hard as you can as you reach new heights. Finish up by doing triceps dips using a park bench as an arm support.
Prevent Workout Boredom by Getting All Wet
When’s the last time you took a dip in the pool? Swimming laps is good exercise, but so is treading water. You can also run in a pool in much the same way you run on land. The water resistance gives the lower body a good workout, while burning calories at the same time. If you aren’t ready for running under water, try marching instead – to help tone and firm your legs. An advantage of exercising in the pool is you won’t get hot and sweaty.
New Places to Work Out: Visit a New Neighborhood
Who says you have to walk or jog only in your neighborhood? Take your walking or jogging routine to a new neighborhood for a change of scenery. Once you’ve selected a good location, drive through it beforehand to make sure it’s safe – and walk only during the day. There’s nothing like new sights and sounds to give workout boredom the heave-ho.
Bust Workout Boredom with a Rebounder
A rebounder is a mini-trampoline that’s small enough to go almost anywhere. Put it in your backyard on a nice day and burn some calories jumping. Get the kids one too, and you can all jump together. While you’re at it, keep a hula hoop handy and use it to work your core when you get tired of rebounding on the mini-trampoline.
The Bottom Line?
Give workout boredom the boot and break out of a fitness plateau by changing the workout scenery – but, whatever you do, keep moving.
