6 Ways To Add Variety & Fun Into Your Fitness Routine

Are you in a workout rut?  If you find yourself bored at the gym or feel as though you could exercise in your sleep, it’s time to mix it up and add some variety back into your workout regimen.  Fitness variety can keep you both mentally and physically challenged.  If you are craving a break from your monotonous workout, here are 6 ways you can add some fun & variety into your routine:

1. Take advantage of free trial offers and test out the classes, equipment, and amenities offered at various studios near you.

After a long gym hiatus post covid, I chose to “break up” with my traditional gym membership and wanted to see what else was out there before making another commitment.  I rode the “free trial train” for a few months until I’d experienced nearly all the fitness studios in my local area.  It was time for me to pony-up and start paying but I was still a commitment-phobe.  Once you find a place that’s worthy of going back to again, you have a few options:

2. Return to the studios you like with by purchasing a punch card or individual/day passes.  

This is a great option if you find a location and know you want to return.  For example, let’s say you find a yoga studio that offers a more peaceful, meditative experience than your big-box gym offers.  You can keep your big-box gym membership, assuming you like it for other reasons, and add-on a punch card to the yoga studio.  Essentially rather than becoming a full-on member at the yoga studio, you can return for a specified number of visits.  Usually, the more visits you commit to, the less you will pay for each.  PRO TIP: Make sure you ask about expiration dates.

3. Return to the locations you like with an entry level membership to an App that allows you to hop around to various gyms and fitness studios (examples: Classpass or Xpass).

I am a huge fan of this option and a member of Classpass myself, click here for a free trial!  Essentially with these app-based memberships, you pay the app for credits which can then be redeemed at various exercise studios across the country and in some cases the world.  Think of this as the ability to “date” multiple gyms at the same time without commitment .  You can find almost any type of fitness studio on these apps from barre, to pilates, dance, boxing, personal training, strength, HITT, and the list goes on.  It’s a win-win situation for you and the local business, because while you get the flexibility to workout whenever/wherever the app allows, the studios get more footsteps in the door and fill empty spots that would normally go unused. 

4. Play a sport!  Sports are a great way to add fitness into your routine, without feeling like you are working out. 

Tennis, softball, golf, ballet, volleyball, racquetball, even bowling can help you build stamina and strength.  Playing a sport is not only a great way to get exercise but puts you in a different headspace focused on strategy, competition, and working as a team (in some cases).  Check your local community bulletins for opportunities to join teams or find other sports related facilities.

5. Layer a few ways you enjoy working out from home into the rotation.    

Nothing beats the convenience of breaking a sweat at home, and while doing this daily might seem repetitive, working out from home can help you add variety to your routine when you can’t find the time to get to a studio.  I keep some basic equipment at home, like light and heavy dumbbells, a yoga mat, and resistance bands that were inexpensive to purchase and I feel comfortable using on my own.  I also have a hand-me-down elliptical machine that’s the perfect solution when I want to get a quick cardio session in on a busy day.  Sometimes I will take a virtual class on a YouTube Channel (I like PopSugar Fitness) or via an App, like Apple Fitness+.  Having a few at-home options in your back pocket will make sure, no matter the weather or how busy your life gets, you can get some form exercise regularly. 

6. Incorporate Outdoor Exercise into your weekly regimen.  

There’s something about the fresh air – it clears my mind better than anything else.  There are so many great ways to exercise outside and enjoy nature.  Go for a walk, a run, a hike, cruise on your rollerblades or take a bike ride.   You could also simply take your regular home workouts outside to your backyard or local park for a change of scenery.  St Louis has so many gorgeous parks that make the perfect backdrop for your outdoor adventure.  I love using the AllTrails App to help me find new and exciting places to walk and hike. 

Now that you have 6 ways you can add more fun & variety to your workouts, here are a few other tips to make your workouts more meaningful & less mundane:

• Nothing is better than having a workout buddy! Ask a friend, neighbor, family member or co-worker to join you for your next sweat session. 
• Use this ME time to simultaneously listen to your favorite music or catch up on a podcast.  Or for a different experience, completely unplug .  I enjoy a solo hike simply listening to the sounds of nature.
• Make your non-routine workouts your new workout routine.  This might consist of mixing up your typical routine, with 1 new type of exercise a week.  Or perhaps it’s committing to 1 cardio, 1 strength, and 1 stability session each week – this gives you flexibility to decide: is your cardio this week is going to be spinning, running or HIIT?  Is your stability class pilates or yoga?  By doing that you have built yourself a routine that’s anything but mundane.

Final Thoughts

I hope I’ve given you some ideas to add more variety into your fitness routine and allow exercise to become something you look forward to rather than dread.  Having an “open relationship” with the gym has added a new layer of excitement to exercise for me, and put more pep in my step.  Do you need to “dump” your gym membership like I did?  Perhaps no, but at the very least be aware of what else is out there – only you can decide if the grass is truly greener. 

What are your favorite ways to add fitness variety to your routine?  Comment below!

Wishing you lots of fun in fitness!

Natalie

aka FitnessFoodieSTL

*angels that also can sometimes feel like they were born in h#ll