We can all get a little bit bored with the same training routine week in week out. Next thing you know, you’ve hit a plateau and lost your training pizzazz! Sound familiar?

 

I’m a big advocate of moving everyday and mixing things up a bit with my own training and also my personal training clients, but always keep weight training in the mix as the benefits are just too good to ignore. What I mean is, I will always do some form of weight training 3-4 times a week, and supplement with other forms of exercise to challenge the different energy systems, keep my body guessing and my boredom at bay 🙂

Extra Exercise Activities To Try:

• Kettlebells – this old school piece of equipment is awesome for fat-loss, strength, power and muscle building! I like using them either on their own in a circuit (watch this video of mine demonstrating a kettlebell workout) or throwing them in one of my strength training sessions. Nothing like 20 kettlebell swings to get the heart pumping!

• Boxing – great for muscle toning, cardio and endurance. Plus it’s a great stress reliever and really fun!

• Group Classes- doing the occasional group class is a great supplement to weight training for those who really like to sweat it out and get the endorphins flowing! If you want a high calorie burning workout that combines cardio with body weight resistance training, you could give Body Attack a go (if you’re a Fitness First member). It’s also interactive and lots of fun!

• Yoga – my fav :-). There’s obviously lots of different varieties of yoga, so it’s good to try a few different types to see what resonates with your body the most. I personally love Power Flow Vinyasa as I find it challenging and like the synchronisation with the breath plus the variety. Having said that, I also really love Body Balance at Fitness First as it combines Tai Chi which is calming and meditative and Pilates for the awesome core work.

• Interval Training – intervals such as sprints, can be described as short periods of work followed by rest. There are many variations such as rowing, using the cross-trainer, cycling, kettlebell swings, burpees etc. I love interval training because of the metabolism boosting effects from the high intensity intervals and the minimal time needed to achieve this desired result. Another great example of intervals, is tabata training.

There are loads of other examples of exercise you could throw into your exercise routine to spice it up a bit and give ya ol’ bod a bit of a shake up! How about trying rock climbing, hiking, a dance class, a long sex sess ;-), zuu, stand up paddle boarding, surfing, water skiing, stair climbing, cycling etc. Seriously loads of stuff to try!

What activities do you like to throw into your exercise routine to keep your body guessing?

Liz xx