Wake up!

Sometimes we all get bored with our workouts.  Here are five ways to up the challenge and wake ourselves up.

 

1.     Make it unstable.  This can be about using tools like stability balls, a BOSU, a wobble-board, or a foam roller, or it can be as simple as trying the exercise on one leg or with one arm at at time.

2.     Change the speed of the lift.  Sometimes things are harder when we do them faster.  Sometimes we learn a lot by slowing things way down.  Try doing the “hard” part quickly and then lower the weights back down very slowly.

3.     Add cardio intervals.  This can be as simple as a minute of jacks between lifts or as complicated as creating a whole circuit routine.  The idea is to get breathless and then do the lift to increase the challenge.

4.     Go backwards.  If we always do the same exercises in the same order, our bodies know what to expect.  That’s a recipe for stagnation.  Mix things up by doing the same routine but in reverse.

5.     Change location.  If we normally work out outside, we can take it indoors, or vice versa.  A change of scene means fresh input for our brains and bodies, which is good for both.

 

Go play!