5 Ways to Switch Up Your Fitness Routine

I’ve been consistently working out for a little over three months now. While I know that’s not a ton of time, I realized almost immediately that I would need to keep things fun and interesting in order to stay motivated. Luckily, for two of these three months (and now over the next 8 weeks), I had my workout plan from Sumeet which was constantly changing and keeping me challenged. But during my month off of her plan and even on some of my “rest” days when I was looking to switch things up, I tried a few different things to keep my workouts fresh.

[one-half-first]Before I get into a few of the tips that worked for me, I have to just say one thing. I really do love working out. And seriously – no one is more surprised by that than me. I never thought I would actually look forward to going to the gym or a class. I never in a million years would have thought I would be giving any sort of fitness related tip. But alas, here we were.

What I’ve realized over the past few months is that it only takes a few weeks to form a habit and then once you’re in it and you’re seeing results, it starts to become something you can look forward to. So if I could give one piece of advice/if you just are tired of reading this post already – pay attention to this: do not stop. if you’re tired or bored or lacking motivation, just keep going a little bit longer! you got this!! 

Five Tips for Switching Up Your Workouts

No. 1 Make sure you’re alternating muscle groups. This is nothing new but it’s important to give certain parts of your body a break. No need to work your shoulders or booty every single day. I like to legs/booty 2-3 days a week and arms + shoulders 2 days a week. This keeps your body guessing and also gives you the chance to switch up the exercises you do on a daily basis.

No. 2 Try ClassPass. I was totally against paying for another membership when I already pay for a gym membership but ClassPass is probably my second favorite investment. I do the $100/month plan and go to 2-3 classes a week. You can try out new studios, new classes, new teachers and even join in with friends for workout-date nights.

No. 3 Use IG. When I’m not following Sumeet’s plan or if I’m looking to add a few extra workouts for the week, I love going to my favorite IG accounts and saving exercises. Create a saved folder and whenever you see a workout that looks fun and challenging, save it for later. Then, when you’re at the gym you can reference the videos for inspiration.

No. 4 I am NOT a doctor or nutritionist so I can only recommend what works for me, but I love taking a pre-workout supplement before I go to the gym or a class. I take one scoop of Oxyshred (mixed with water) 15-20 minutes before a workout and notice a huge difference. A fat burner, energizer, strength builder all in one. Everyone is different but I know a lot of women take this before to get the most out of their workouts and I love having that extra oomph before a tough gym session.

No. 5 Consider hiring a trainer. I can’t speak to the value of this enough – at least for me. I lack motivation and I’m obviously not a pro so having someone who could provide new exercises and routines to keep me challenged and making improvements was key. There are a ton of apps that replicate this if a trainer isn’t in your budget. Another fun tip – just “copy” folks at the gym! Go at your own pace but draw inspiration from the folks around you.

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Photos by Shelby Gordon.