How to Spice Up Your Routine

By Sonya Gill           

            Every person that works out goes through it, when your body hits a point in which it stops responding to your everyday workout regimen – it’s called a plateau. At some point in your fitness/dieting career, your body will stop listening to you and stop producing the results you were once so fascinated with. And yes people, you will try everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. Trust me, I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen women starve themselves, and I’ve seen men try to drink more protein shakes than plants need water! However, I hate to be the bearer of bad news; these tricks will only take you down the road of self destruction. So here I am to fill you in on what it is you can do to start seeing those results again, and get into even better shape than you were in before.            

            If you are one of those people that approach the gym like your approaching a 9-5 desk job, than you may as well start asking the receptionist at the front desk if you can start clocking in! The idea of going to the gym is to make it fun, to add some jazz so that a) you don’t become bored of a routine workout and b) so your body doesn’t hit the ever so anticipated plateau. Here are a few examples of what you can do:

1) If you are a treadmill nut and run like your training for a marathon 5-6 days a week, at the same pace, for the same amount of time, then it’s likely that rumors at the gym have it: your trend is out of style! If you continue to do this, not only is your body going to stop responding to results, but you’re probably doing a lot of damage to your joints. The best way to counteract the two is to: 

• Mix up your run with intervals. Intervals are when you cut up your run into short bouts of running and walking. So for example, in a half an hour workout on the treadmill, you would run for two minutes and then walk for two minutes. And according to the fitness level you are at (beginner to intermediate) you can increase the speed and time at which you run and walk. Doing this will not only allow your body to respond to change, but will also boost your metabolism. 
• You can also mix up your run by jumping rope in between 5 minute intervals. For example, you can run for 5 minutes, get off the treadmill and jump rope for 5 minutes, and then repeat. This is a great way to work out major leg muscles and to put your heart rate into its ideal target, fat burning zone.

2) Now if you are an individual that has specific days on which you work out particular muscle groups, and have particular weights that you lift in certain ways. Then you also need to spice up your routine.

• If you’re working out your shoulders, try to do push ups in between each set of weights that you lift. Not only will this produce MAJOR results, shock your body and help you become leaner, but it will target a lot of key muscles in your shoulders that we otherwise tend to ignore.
• (This second one is best fit for secondary to intermediate gym goers, so please proceed at your own caution). I swear by boxing. I honestly believe that it is the best form of cardio exercise when it comes to leaning out your upper body. You can mix your weight lifting workouts with boxing any day of the week and KNOW that you are going to see results. Remember, no pain, no gain right? Inquire about boxing classes or about boxing schools or gyms and try it out at least once to twice a week. Remember, it’s all about shocking the body and getting it to respond to change once it hits a plateau, so if you’re lifting weights and you add boxing into your daily routine, your muscles will respond like a cat to a mouse!

            The above examples are only a treat as to what is coming in our up and coming additions. So stay tuned and I’ll have plenty of more examples of ways to spice up your fitness routine that will help you proceed to progress!