Getting tired of your workout routine? Last column I wrote about a beach workout as a change of scenery. There are a number of other variations you can adopt to spice things up and still get a good workout.
Exercise programs come and go. Every year there are new tends, and that’s okay. Something new and exciting might just be the motivation you need to keep up your regime. In the past we had step aerobics, jazzercise and pole dancing as the leading crazes. Here are a few new ones.
Mud Races
Sometimes it is just fun to get dirty. Slopping through mud over and under obstacles where accomplishment and teamwork are emphasized over finishing times. The Tough Mudder events continue to grow in popularity with over 12 000 participants enrolled in a recent event.
Barre
Going beyond classic ballet and the bar method, this workout encompasses ballet, stretching, strengthening and dance. This is a latest craze that can be done in a group or at home using a chair back as your bar.
Thug Workout
Started as an inner city trend, it involves using what is around you instead of a formal gym. It could be a playground or construction scaffold. Those used tires and blocks can be great for resistance training. Lookup the Hydropark Outdoor gym in the Ukraine for inspiration; exercise machines including discarded trucks and scrap yard pieces.
Extreme Yoga
Yoga is always adapting and new variations. Some of the more recent are hot yoga, working out at 105 degrees. Another is paddleboard yoga which further challenging your balance.
Free Running, Parkour
Out of France a recent trend that keeps growing. Moving gracefully and in spectacular fashion. A combination of gymnastics, aerobics and martial arts makes this a great all round workout.
Hoopnotica
This is not your childhood hula-hoop. But it is a fun and energetic workout. Going beyond abs, it can be modified for the arms and other parts. It’s a calorie burner with a thirty-minute workout equivalent to about 500 sit-ups.
If you are comfortable with your routine, good for you and keep it up. But if you are getting tired of your regime, explore a new exercise workout.