New Flavors for Your Fitness Routine

"Just like tasty recipes, spice is nice. Spicing up your fitness routine keeps you interested, works muscles in a fresh way, and helps to nourish a good attitude by providing some variety,” says Deanna Boneck, a personal trainer based in Springfield, Missouri. “One of the main reasons people quit working out is because they get bored. The secret to staying in the game is to spice things up, [and] you can't become stronger by doing the same routine.”

Here are some “new flavors” you can add to your fitness routine, straight from Boneck’s “spice rack”:

Do exercises backwards. For instance, if you usually do forward lunges, step into backward lunges, or mix up the order in which you do your exercises. If you’ve been using weight machines, switch to free weights.
Add a stability ball. Here’s how: Sit on a stability ball while lifting weights to strengthen the focused muscles and engage the core. Lying across the stability balls is a great position in which to do crunches.
Step up your cardio. Move from the treadmill and on to an elliptical machine. You can also try increasing your usual time on the machine by at least five minutes, going a little faster, or adding an incline.
Do something fun and that you enjoy: Take a hip hop or zumba class once or twice a week. Get your kids involved and play basketball together (not only will you be working on your body but also your relationships with your kids, too). Aim for at least 30 minutes of play or dance.

— Michele Deppe