5 Ways To Shake Things Up

Ring in the new year with a new outlook at the gym.

- Jill Schildhouse

Have you noticed that you’re on autopilot at the gym lately, doing the same old moves session after session? Do you know everybody’s name in your Zumba or Spin class? Does your yoga mat have a permanent indentation from where you constantly place your palms for downward-facing dog?

First of all, congratulations on your consistency and dedication to your workouts — but it’s definitely time to shake things up!

“It’s easy to slip into a fitness rut, because mastering a certain workout or routine feels good — and as humans, we like things that are familiar and comfortable,” says Aurora Sekine, community fitness manager and ACE-certified group fitness instructor at Trainiac. “But change doesn’t happen when we’re comfortable. Sustaining fitness as a part of your lifestyle requires finding balance between having structure and changing things up.”

THE BENEFITS OF BREAKING FREE

Sekine tries not to think about fitness and exercise as a “routine” at all, because the moment something becomes a routine, your mind isn’t engaged and your body isn’t being challenged. Plus, breaking free from a fitness routine benefits both your body and mind.