Exercise tweaks to revitalize your workout regimen
(HealthDay)—Is your workout routine in a slump? To keep challenging your body, it's important to tweak your regimen every three months or each season.
By aligning these changes to seasonal changes, you can also start the right prep for the next season's sports, such as training for skiing in the fall and hiking in the spring. To begin, grab a calendar and chart out your key dates and activities.
Not all the changes to your program have to be dramatic, according to the American Council on Exercise. Challenging yourself can be as simple as changing your strength-training equipment from free weights to resistance bands or to bodyweight-only exercises like push-ups, wall sits and crunches.
If you've been exercising solo, one effective change is to build in a social component. Ask a friend to join you for workouts or sign up for a class you've always wanted to try. You'll have more fun and be more accountable when others are involved.
Look into any worksite wellness programs that your employer has made available to you. Classes held at your office complex means no need to travel to a gym. If time constraints have been limiting your workouts to the weekends, this convenience should make it easy to add weekday sessions to your schedule. If a worksite program isn't in place, talk to your employer about starting one so that everyone can share in the benefits of exercise.
Finally, another way to shake up a routine is to add in flexibility and balance work. These are every bit as valuable as cardio and strength training, just in different ways.
More information: The American Council on Exercise has more on year-long exercise planning with insights into how the pros do it.
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