So, you go to the gym every day, exercise with the same equipment day by day, using the same routine. Perhaps you go for a daily walk, using the same route, the same distance, possibly even wearing the same gear. Are you surprised that you are demotivated and are finding it so hard to continue with your workout? It’s time to do things differently. Like everything in life, you need to introduce variety into your keep-fit regime. Varying your workout brings a number of benefits.

1. Spreads out the benefits

When you focus on one type of exercise, you work on specific parts of the body and specific muscles. To reap maximum benefits from your workout, you need to do a bit of everything. This way, you challenge more and different groups of muscles. In the end, you build your overall stamina and fitness.

2. Guards against injury and overuse of some muscles

When you repeat the same movement day by day, using the same muscles, you risk overuse injury. If you do repetitive motions like kicking, running, or swimming time after time, you could end up injuring your body. When you vary your exercise routine by using different muscle groups every time, then you minimize the risk of injured joints and muscles.

3. Allows you to burn more calories

Your body quickly adapts to a routine. With time, your body will not have to work as hard to finish that usual routine. Therefore, you’ll burn fewer calories. For your body to work hard every time, it needs new challenges constantly. When you vary your exercise regime, you will end up burning more calories at every workout.

How to change your exercise routine

Okay, so you now want to vary your keep-fit routine. What changes could you make and how?

If you walk…

Consider walking every other day, taking a different route every time. You could vary the speed – perhaps walking slowly over a long distance, then fast over a short distance the following day. Walk backward or sideways. Consider teaming up with a walking partner and share ideas on how to vary your routine.

If you run…

Think about adding some sprints, using a steeper route sometimes, or running up some stairs. Alternate high and low-intensity activity. If you are in a park, you could do some step-ups on every other park bench.

At the gym…

Try different equipment. Talk to your trainer about it. Be adventurous and creative. You could get off the stationary bike and do a few minutes on the treadmill, for instance.

The bottom line

You need to challenge your body all the time; otherwise, it will get used to a regular routine and become lazy, burning fewer calories. In every exercise you do, push yourself harder by the day. Walk or run for a longer distance, do more sets or a more difficult form of an exercise, or just change the order of the exercises you do. Do everything to challenge your body and stop yourself from falling into a predictable routine. Add excitement to your keep-fit routine.