In An Exercise Rut? Consider These Alternatives
Ok, so as a fitness professional I see a lot of people that haven’t quite found their mojo with exercise yet. They have tried lots of different things in the past but still have not found the thing that they really get true enjoyment and satisfaction from. I recently heard from one of my clients, that his friend’s advice to him was to find the thing that he really enjoys, because if he loves it then he is way more likely to stick with it for the long haul. I agree and think that is pretty sound advice, and as someone myself who has tried lots of different sports/exercise, I can appreciate that sentiment. Some of you reading this might resonate with that, you might feel stuck in a routine, or even feel like you have a complete lack of routine when it comes to your exercise. If that is you, I’m going to say take a deep breath, don’t panic, because perhaps you just haven’t found or tried the right thing yet. So, I’m going to help you to think outside the box and get those creative juices flowing so that you can consider some other possibilities. You may not have realized all the other possibilities that could be out there for you.
If you enjoy running try… Biking
What’s better is that there are even different types of riding you can try to see which is best for you! You can try indoor spin classes, road riding outdoors, or even off-road, mountain biking.
The reason why I suggest riding as an alternative to running because many people who like running want to be outdoors, they enjoy doing cardio-based exercise, they can decide when and where to go, or they love the challenge of seeing how far/fast they can go. You get all those same feelings on the bike, you get to be outdoors, you are working your muscles and your lungs to the level you want, you can change your distances and your routes and can make it fit into your own schedule. The positive difference is that it has a lower impact on the joints, so you might find that this even feels better for your body than being out on a run!
If you like yoga try… Dance or Barre
If you are the sort of person that enjoys yoga because you have an appreciation for the movement of the body but you are looking for something elsewhere you can have some fun and get some good exercise and movement in, then perhaps a dance class is what you’re looking for. I have worked with people that have really loved going to adult ballet classes, barre, and modern jazz. Ballet and other dances like modern jazz aren’t just for the professionals, it is also there for everyone else as a form of exercise! Barre is inspired by ballet yoga and pilates, and will really give you a full-body workout.
If you like using free weights in the gym or like circuit classes try…
CrossFit or Functional Fitness Classes
I’m guessing that if you like to use the free weights in the gym, that you like feeling strong and pushing your muscles to do some challenging things, and you probably enjoy seeing those weights go up. If you are thinking, yep that’s me, and you also enjoy the feeling of pushing to your physical limits, then I would recommend trying some functional fitness classes or Crossfit. Trying either would be an investment in your strength and physical health that you would not regret. You would likely learn some new weightlifting movements that you might have been too scared to try on your own before, or you would learn how to perfect them. The bonuses of trying these classes instead of just going to the gym, are that you don’t have to think about what you are going to do in the gym each time you go, because, in these classes, all you do is show up and listen to the coach who will lead you through the class and all the movements. The icing and the cherry on the cake is that you also get all the strength gains, and make some new like-minded friends in class along the way. People talk about the community that these sorts of classes have, and it is true, if you find the right gym for you, you are likely to make some friends for life.
Now, this is really just the start of thinking about sports and exercise this way, I’m sure that if you thought about some things you have previously enjoyed that you could continue with other ideas. Perhaps you could even turn this into a conversation with a friend or family member, it could even work as a word association game where one person says a sport or exercise and the next person says the first one that comes to their mind. You might come up with some genius ideas and solutions. If you have any revelations and fabulous ideas, please do share them with us. Good luck, have fun, and be brave enough to try something new!
