You’ve been exercising for a few weeks, and have seen great results, but lately the workouts have lost their pizzazz. You are not losing as much weight as you did when you first started, you have lost your motivation, and really, you are just plain bored.
Don’t worry, you are not alone, this can and does happen to many people. This can occur as the body becomes too acclimated the same old routines, and the body hits a plateau.
Boredom is common when you keep doing the same workouts day in and day out, and just as your body becomes acclimated to the same workouts, so does your brain.
Check out these 5 great ideas for improving the effectiveness of your workout.
1. Switch Up Your Exercise Routine
Who enjoys spending an hour running on a treadmill or sweating on an elliptical for their entire workout session, 5 times a week?
While a good cardio session can indeed burn off calories and gets your heart working to help burn fat and improve your overall health, there’s no reason why your workout should seem like such a chore.
Changing the way that you work out will not only help you to keep interested in your work out regime, it will also keep the body guessing so it does not get used to the same old same and will also allow you to target other areas of your body.
Do sets of bodyweight exercises such as burpees, lunges and crunches to not only burn energy but also work on toning up those muscles. Skip the weight machines, and add some free weights. Instead of the treadmill, join different exercise classes.
2. Do Intervals
Interval workouts are the most effective methods of burning calories. The next time you are on the treadmill, running, cycling or even using a cross trainer, try using intervals.
These are done by maintaining a constant and steady pace, but every few minutes, up your speed to the fastest that you can manage before returning to the steady pace again after a few more minutes.
The way this works is that your heart is constantly being driven to work hard and then starts to relax again and this constant change of heart pace means that you get a more effective workout.
3. Choose Your Workout Buddy Wisely
When you’re working out, it really helps to have someone to help you keep to your goals.
Make sure that you choose your workout buddy wisely. If your workout partner can’t keep up with you, you may find it difficult to fit in the pace of workout that you need.
Try to choose a workout buddy who is either at the same or slightly higher level of fitness so that you can keep up, go further and stay motivated. This will ensure that the time you spend working out with a friend is as effective as possible.
4. Hire A Personal Trainer
While this one may seem like common sense to some, it’s surprising how many people think that they can just launch themselves into a workout routine and hope for the best.
If you know nothing about fitness, or nutrition, you’re not likely to get very far when it comes to working out. By hiring your own personal trainer, you’ll receive tailored assistance with your workout routine and that trainer will help you grow your workout as your fitness level grows.
Not only will they be able to tell you what will help you burn off the weight or achieve your target goals, but you will also be able to get some nutritional advice. Your diet is very important when it comes to implementing changes to your body image and this is as specific to each individual as a workout routine.
5. Get Moving On Your Break At Work
OK, when you’re at work, working out may not be the thing that you have on your mind, but it is important that you keep moving throughout the day. If you have an office job where you find yourself sitting at a desk all day, try incorporating some bursts of exercise into your breaks.
You could go for a brisk walk around the block, or simply take a jump rope to work and do some skipping for 10 minutes. If possible, get a standing desk; these are awesome new products that allow you to quickly convert your workspace to a standing area where you can work on your feet.
The more you can keep moving throughout the day, the more calories you’ll be able to burn.