Winter workout feeling a little stale? Then it’s time to give it a spring workout shake-up!
Because no matter how much you loved it when you first started, we all love a bit of variety to our days. And even if you’re a creature of habit, your BODY loves a workout shake-up.
Why shake-up your workout?
Do you remember when you first started your current workout?
It probably felt really challenging for the first few weeks. Maybe you were even tempted to throw in the towel and go back to whatever you were doing before.
But as the weeks passed, your body grew stronger in all the ways that supported you to smash your workout to a greater level.
Now, you love the way your body just knows what it needs to do, right? That uncomfortable phase of, ‘Bugger this!’ is over and your feel super confident and competent.
Awesome job!
But remember that this phase is both a sign that you’ve done an amazing job, and a kick up the bum telling you it’s time to challenge yourself again.
This is because the majority of your fitness and strength gains are made in that challenging phase somewhere between ‘Bugger this!’ and ‘I’m great at this!’. Once you reach the point where you no longer have to push yourself, you’re experiencing diminishing returns on the time you put in.
That’s how you know it’s time for a workout shake-up, which will put you back into discomfort while challenging your body in a whole new way. This will lead to increased fitness and strength in areas of your body which weren’t activated by your previous routine, which equals a healthier, stronger you!
Top ideas for a Spring workout shake-up
When choosing to shake up your fitness routine, you can choose to ditch your entire schedule and start fresh or keep bits you really enjoy and add some fresh moves into the mix.
The key is to keep moving because this fuels wellness.
To make the most of the fabulous spring weather, here are some fun ways to shake up your fitness journey.
Get outdoors
Spring is the perfect time to make the most of your opportunities to exercise outdoors. It’s not too hot or too cold, so you have no excuses not to get out there!
And the great thing is that adding an outdoor element to your workout can add a level of difficulty to your favourite activities, so that you can take them to a level that challenges you again.
For example:
- Swap the treadmill for a hike or trail run. The uneven ground, weather conditions and even attractive onlookers will mean your body works harder.
- Swap the heated pool for a swim in the ocean. The waves and changing conditions will increase the challenge to your body.
- Choose calisthenics on the beach, a la Chris Hemsworth, to add next level muscle strength.
And finally, guys, no matter what outdoor activity you choose, know your limits and remember to exercise safely within them!
Join a bootcamp
A bootcamp can be a fantastic way to push yourself to the next level.
You’ll participate in a variety of challenging timed activities alongside a group of people just like you – motivated to shake up their fitness.
The group dynamic adds a great social and competitive edge that can motivated you to show up and give it your all.
Get involved in team sport
Maybe you already do this, or maybe the last time you played team sport was in high school. Either way, there’s a team out there pitched at your experience level.
Like a bootcamp, you’ll also score great social opportunities by working out in this way, but your teammates won’t be your direct competition and you’ll be motivated to do your best so your team comes out tops.
Sign up for a charity challenge
A charity fitness challenge serves the dual purpose of giving you a means to do something good AND it keeps you super motivated because you know you’re doing it for something bigger than yourself.
And just to make sure you keep going, you’ll often be able to keep track of live leader boards and see how other people are going by following the challenge on social media.
Try a new class
Finally, if you’re still looking for ways to shake things up, maybe it’s time to try a new class.
Most of us have a mental list of heaps of things we’d like to try one day, including fun new ways to move our bodies.
Whether you’ve always wanted to try Pilates or Zumba, yoga or HIIT, now is the perfect time to give it a go!
You can find a great selection of fitness classes here.
Remember, to achieve your best body ever, you’ll need to shake things up from time to time. It’s part of the process, so embrace it and have fun!
