Most individuals are aware that workouts exercise is beneficial to both physical and mental health. However, remaining motivated can be difficult, especially over time. Sure, training for a 5Kor 10K can be exciting, but after the race is finished, your enthusiasm for running may rapidly fade. Alternatively, you may be enthralled by your new spin class at first, only to tire of it after a few weeks.
It’s natural to become bored with exercising. Boredom with sports activities is a common emotion among amateur, student, and even professional athletes, according to a recent study by the National Institutes of Health.
Because the body-mind combination is like a Jack Russell terrier, people get bored with their workout regimens, according to Dr. Dan O’Neill, a sports psychologist and orthopedic surgeon in Plymouth, New Hampshire. “You must constantly provide it with fresh challenges, input, ideas, toys, and gym clothing — new, new, new.”
This means that mixing up your routines is crucial for keeping motivated, according to O’Neill. And now that the calendar has turned to a new year, it’s the ideal moment to add some variety to your workout routine. Here are six suggestions for getting started.
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With your exercise route, make a word or an image.
Runners frequently plan routes through city streets to form a word or image, then use a GPS device to “draw” it while running. Whether your preferred form of exercise is running, walking, or bicycling, you may do the same.
To begin, get a fitness app for your phone, smartwatch, or fitness tracker. Nike+ Run Club, Strava Training, and Runtastic are a few alternatives. Then, using a mapping application like Map My Run, draw out your phrase (HOPE!) or favorite image (e.g., a heart or a dog) online. You’ll know exactly where to go this way. When you’re ready to go, make sure your device’s GPS tracker is turned on. After that, pause your tracker and save your artwork so that you can share it.
Are you stumped as to what image or message to make? You can always use the apps to follow artistic paths that others have designed and shared. Some are extremely difficult to finish and may necessitate multiple excursions. That, though, is all part of the enjoyment.
Become a member of a free fitness group.
Several communities provide no-cost fitness opportunities. Fitness in the Park is a summertime program that has been going on in New York for ten years. Everyone is welcome to participate in Pilates, Zumba, kickboxing, and other fitness activities at one of the 18 parks. During the summer months, the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District in Washington, DC sponsors TriFit, a series of free evening workouts hosted in Farragut Square. In addition, an average of 4,200 people each week participate in the year-round November Project workouts in 53 locations across the world.
Running, stair climbing, jumping, bodyweight exercises, and circuits, as well as hilarious antics, are all part of the November Project workouts. Tossing pumpkins back and forth with a partner was one Halloween workout with the November Project group in Madison, Wisconsin; another paired specific exercises with the Uno cards you chose. According to co-leader Aaron Cahn, participants have ranged in age from approximately 10 to over 70, with 40 to 100 people consistently showing up for the group’s Wednesday and Friday morning meetings.
Austin Freon, 38, has been going to the group for nearly seven years because of the companionship. “The best part is snagging a new partner or getting together with the one you already know,” Freon remarked. “It’s always welcoming and a lot of fun.”
Dance
Dancing is a terrific way to get your workouts body moving, whether you take a class or practice at home.
Dancing does not appear to be a workout to many people, which is why it is such a popular choice. It’s also something that can be done anywhere, with any type of music. It doesn’t matter if it’s salsa, jazz, or hip-hop.
Monica Monfre, a certified yoga teacher in Scantlebury, Massachusetts, went to college to study dance. She designed Dance to Flow, a program that begins with 25 minutes of choreographed dance and transitions to 25 minutes of hip-opening yoga flow to keep her yoga students engaged.
“At the same time, the training provides for a creative aspect and meditation,” says the author.
Enroll in a new-to-you event.
You can certainly run a 5K. Why not try orienteering instead? This timed navigational sport asks you to find orange-and-white flags buried in parks or distant locations using comprehensive maps. People frequently jog or power walk from flag to flag because the action is timed. Obstacle-filled running routes are common in races like Tough Mudder, and teamwork is encouraged to ensure everyone finishes triumphantly. Adventure racing, on the other hand, mixes orienteering with a variety of sports, most commonly trekking, cycling, and paddling, as well as a surprise obstacle, such as a ropes course or climbing wall.
Parkour classes are available.
Parkour is a combination of a noncompetitive sport, an art form, and a training discipline. It was developed in the 1980s in France with the goal of assisting people in overcoming difficulties in an urban or natural setting by jumping, vaulting, balancing, and other activities. Consider going on a low retaining wall or bouncing from rock to rock to cross a stream. These kinds of moves are frequently instinctive. Add some speed and inventiveness to your next walk, and you might find yourself leaping over a bench, hopping down two steps at a time, and sprinting along the curb’s edge. While more advanced parkour moves should only be attempted after much training and practice, there are plenty of simple maneuvers that almost anyone can learn.
Get on the way!
If you’re motivated by travel, consider attending a retreat or training camp in an interesting location. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, Nike runs a high-altitude cross-country camp, while in Canada’s gorgeous British Columbia province, a luxury hiking and wellness resort await. When you’re not in town, you can look for fascinating classes like goat yoga and flying trapeze lessons.
Whatever you choose to do, remember these four-sport psychology workouts fundamentals, according to O’Neill: No complaining; just turning up is crucial; you’ll feel better after exercising, and get outside.
“Any time spent with Mother Nature is time well spent,” observed O’Neill. “And she is without a doubt the greatest motivator of all time.”
Read more: Can Fitness apps replace a personal trainer?
