5 Tips For Stepping Out of a Workout Rut

After my concussion 2 months ago, I wasn't allowed to exercise at all for a whole month.  Once I started easing back into exercising all I was allowed to do was 30 minutes on the elliptical and maybe a little yoga everyday.  I settled into a consistent routine and it felt good to actually be moving again.  After a while, I realized that my workouts weren't going anywhere; I was bored and I wasn't progressing in my fitness.  I was in a workout rut.

Workout ruts can happen to anyone, even if you're really fit.  It's important to be consistent with exercise but sticking to the same workout routine can actually hinder your progress after a while.  If you find yourself in a workout rut motivate yourself and keep your body guessing with these 5 workout rut-busting tips.

1.  Variation-  Doing the exact same exercise (ahem, 30 minute elliptical workouts everyday) will condition your body to the exercise and prevent you from improving.  It's important to mix up your workouts so that you aren't working the same exact muscles everyday.  If you're jumping on an elliptical everyday, try taking your workout outside.  Do you always use free weights for strength training?  Try using your own body weight or resistance bands.  It's important to try something new and surprise new muscle groups.

2.  Find a workout buddy-  Ask a friend, family member, or significant other to come workout with you.  A workout friend will not only motivate you to make it to the gym but they can offer a new perspective on exercises that will break you out of your routine.  Exercise with someone who you know will push and motivate you.  According to a study done by Kansas State University, exercising with a buddy you perceive as more fit than you can increase your performance by 200 percent!

My workout buddy

3.  Try something new-  Most gyms offer lots of fun group fitness classes to try.  Try something new like zumba, yoga, body pump or belly dancing.  Classes are a great way to get friends to join you at the gym too.  Find a class that you know your friends would be interested in and invite them to come with you.  I've also made a lot of friends by going to new classes and visiting with the people who are in them.  It can be intimidating at first to try something you've never done before but chances are you'll meet someone new who's trying the class for the first time too.

4.  Hire a Trainer-  I know that hiring a personal trainer can get expensive (most charge 60 dollars for just 1 hour) but having a trainer show you new exercises for your fitness goals is a great way to get out of your same routine.  To save money you can try asking a few friends to come to a group training session.  A lot of trainers will offer discounted rates for group training sessions.  Trainers can offer a new perspective and teach you the safe way to try new moves and prevent injury.

5.  Make working out FUN-  Exercise doesn't always have to mean that you're stuck inside the gym.  You can still get in shape by taking your workouts outside.  Go hiking, surfing, play sports, or play a game.  One of my favorite forms of exercise in college was ultimate frisbee.  I was terrible at it but it kept me moving and I made lots of friends while I was at it.  Having fun with your workouts can help you to meet new people and burn some calories while you're at it.

This week I'm going to try to break out of my workout rut by trying a new workout called Kaia FIT.  I'm also going to spend more time making exercise fun by playing tennis and basketball with Scott while the weather is still nice.

Have you ever been in a workout rut?  What do you do to motivate yourself when you need to change it up?