How to Mix Up Your Workout Regime


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Doing the same workout over and again might be familiar but the reality is that you’re probably going to get bored at some point. Even if you have a preference for a particular sport, such as running, if you don’t mix things up occasionally, you won’t get the same benefits a mixed workout regime provides.

There are 3 things to focus on when you workout: stamina, strength and flexibility. If you only ever run, it’s likely that your stamina will be good but your strength and flexibility might suffer. But if you add in some different workouts, you can achieve all 3 goals. 

Don’t Restrict Yourself

It’s easy to restrict your workout with various excuses. When you say, “I can’t because…” you are immediately ruling something out without really thinking. To get out of this damaging mindset, try to open yourself up to opportunities. So, instead of saying, “I can’t wrestle because I don’t have the right gear,” try shifting your perspective and thinking, “I could join a club and buy custom wrestling uniforms online.”

Limiting yourself by refusing to try things outside your comfort zone is never going to help you improve your fitness or give you a chance to learn something new. It might be a little intimidating to start with but the whole point of working out is to get fitter, so no matter where your starting point is, it’s important that you give yourself a real chance to achieve your goals. 

Do the Fun Stuff

Any activity becomes a workout when you are pushing your body. This means that taking a high-energy dance class can be just as valuable as a running group and a yoga session can be just as good as swimming. Moving your muscles is what counts and if you’re having fun, you’re much more likely to keep it up! 

If the stress of going to the gym is too much, it’s a really good idea to start getting into fitness at home. There are plenty of fun workouts you can do in the comfort of your living room and, with your own music and environment, you can do a lot of good stuff. In fact, as you gain a bit of confidence, the gym and other classes might appeal a bit more. 

Take a Friend

Lots of people don’t have the motivation to workout regularly but there’s a really simple fix: take a friend. Having a friend to go to new classes or try different activities with can bolster your confidence and push you into doing lots of different things together. 

One great idea is to challenge each other to try new things. So, for one season you might challenge your friend to do an activity that’s caught your eye and the next season, they can challenge you. By going together, you can increase your social time, have fun and encourage each other to keep going. 

Mixing up your workout regime is good for your body, good for your motivation and brilliant for your social life – so what are you going to do next?

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…What Are the Best Ways To Relieve Tension?…

There’s much to love about living in the modern world, but you wouldn’t exactly say that it’s a stress-free existence. We’re asked to work longer than in the past, it’s more difficult to buy a home, and our technological advancements mean that we’re forever connected and “on alert.” So it’s important that you’re actively doing things that’ll help to limit the amount of stress that you feel. Fortunately, the rise in people’s stress levels means that we’re getting pretty good at understanding what’s good for relaxing us. We take a look at some of the best methods below.


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Run it Out

If you’re feeling stressed and tense, then it’s recommended that you put on your running shoes and go for a long run. When it comes to feeling calmer and letting that tension go, there are few things better than working up a sweat. For starters, it helps to move our thoughts away from whatever’s causing us stress, and on to whatever’s right in front of us. It also helps tire out our bodies, which means it easier to sleep, and releases a lot of feel-good chemicals into our brain, too.

Controlled Martial Arts

We feel less stressed when we feel in control. As such, one of the best ways to reduce our stress levels is to practice a martial art. These have been shown to increase discipline and control, and to actively reduce stress levels. If you learn shaolin kung fu, you’ll find that you’re not only getting fitter, but that you’re more in control of your emotions. This is one of the more fun and unusual ways to relieve your tension — indeed, it makes for a pretty awesome hobby that’ll interest other people, too.

Deep Stretching

We can usually feel when we’re feeling tense and stressed. It’s in our bodies. We’re just not as loose and free as we’d like to be. As such, one of the best ways to reduce tension is to stretch things out. Stretching is actually one of the most underrated activities a person can do. You spend all your time sitting down, yet your body was designed to be used. Make a habit of engaging in a deep stretching session each morning, and you’ll naturally find that you feel more easy going throughout the day. If you don’t know where to start, then look at joining a yoga club.

Meditation Sessions 

It’s easy to get lost on the treadmill of life. We just keep on moving forward, forward, forward, yet without the perspective needed to handle the situation as well as we could. Meditation is an excellent tool for putting an inch of breathing space between you and your stress induces. It calms you down. Give it a go for a week or so, and you’ll find that you’re much better able to handle your stressful side.

Laughing with Friends

Finally, on those days when stress really adds up, remember that one of the best methods for leaving it behind is to sit and laugh with friends! 

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