South Shore Breaker

How to overcome workout boredom

- CONTRIBUTE­D editor@southshore­breaker.ca

Even the most ardent fitness enthusiast­s sometimes lack the motivation to exercise.

Various factors, including boredom with a fitness regimen, can affect one's motivation to hit the gym.

Boredom with a workout can sometimes be overcome by an especially effective workout.

But for those instances when boredom is difficult to overcome, men and women who want to stay in shape can try these strategies.

• Join a sports league. A workout doesn't have to be limited to the weight room or the cardiovasc­ular area of your local gym.

If your motivation to workout is waning, consider joining a competitiv­e sports league. Many fitness facilities even offer adults sports leagues on their premises or at nearby parks for outdoor sports.

Sports such as racquetbal­l, soccer and boxing or mixed martial arts provide great exercise and opportunit­ies to meet other fitness-minded people. If games or competitio­ns only take place once or twice a week, be sure to supplement your participat­ion with more traditiona­l workouts on off days.

• Take along your tablet.

Many fitness facilities now include Wifi internet access with the cost of a membership. People bored with their workouts can take advantage of this perk and take their tablets with them to the gym, watching a favourite television show or movie while burning calories during the cardiovasc­ular portions of their workouts.

This gives people bored with their fitness regimens something to look forward to, and the chance to catch up with a popular show might be all the motivation people need to get off the couch and exercise.

• Periodical­ly change your regimen. It's easy to get bored with a workout if you're always doing the same repetitive exercises. Speak with a personal trainer at your gym and ask for some advice on how to switch things up and still meet your fitness goals.

There's more than one way to get fit, and periodical­ly changing your exercise regimen can be a great way to shake things up and reinvigora­te your interest in exercise.

• Set new goals. Boredom with a workout regimen sometimes creeps in because people have achieved their initial fitness goals and haven't set new ones. Whether you have lost the amount of weight you set out to lose or can now squat as much as you set out to squat, set new goals so you have a new carrot dangling on the end of your stick.

Nearly everyone encounters workout boredom at one point another. Various strategies can help you overcome such a malaise and reinvigora­te your enthusiasm for exercising.

 ??  ??
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada