Variety Is the Spice of Life

Ever wonder what that really means? This saying expresses the idea that it’s a good thing to try and do different things in life. Variety makes life more interesting and meaningful. The same is true for a food dish. Bland chicken and rice just won’t do, but add some herbs and seasonings and you’ve created heaven on a plate.

If we take so much effort in creating a wonderful meal to satisfy the senses, shouldn’t we put the same amount of effort into our workout routines? Variety in your workouts will help you to stay interested and motivated. How often have you been bored with doing the same thing over and over again? If you are anything like me, you get bored very easily. I need excitement to keep me interested.

How do you add variety to your workouts? For me, that entails enlisting the help of my friends and trainer. My fellow Healthy Housewife of Oz, Toni Winston is known as the walking guru. We walk almost every day on our lunch breaks. We try out different trails on the campus, while we laugh and talk along the way. Having her there keeps things interesting and fun. We have also become addicted to Zumba. It’s a high impact aerobic class that introduces various Latin dance moves. Talk about having fun while you exercise!

When I need to step it up a notch, it’s time to see “No Mercy Mike.” He’s the best trainer I have ever worked with. What I really like about him is the variety he brings to the workouts. I never really know what awaits me when it’s time to meet. Sometimes he may have me doing rounds of boxing. Other times I may be like Rocky Balboa— running up a million flights of stairs. Sometimes I am greeted with a deck of cards and am at the mercy of the draw, and other times it’s traditional weights. These different techniques have helped me to continue to lose weight. I have not hit a plateau yet, and enjoy the intense training.

My challenge to you is to go out and find different work out routines. If you opt for walking then invite a friend or 2 to join along, perhaps you can visit a beautiful park, or maybe add a weight vest or ankle weights. If you have access to a gym, try the different classes they offer. If you are working with a trainer, ask them if you could incorporate interval training into your routine. The options are endless, you can be as creative as you want— the key is to keep moving and have fun while doing it.

Tell me about your experience! Feel free to drop me a line at stacyryoudocs@gmail.com

Added to Wellness Warrior, Fitness, Weight Loss on Fri 02/05/2010