Workout ideas- Find a Workout you love

Finding a Workout you Love!

Working out can be tough to do consistently whether you get bored with your routine, or just do not enjoy working out in general. It can be hard to find something you enjoy when working out is not your favorite and you feel out of place. Even if you are fine with your current routine adding variety is important to challenge your body in a different way, and create more balance. I put together a list of exercises to try to add some variety or help you find a workout that you love.

Feeling adventurous

• Rock climb - indoor or outdoor
• Zip lining
• Rope climb
• Parkour - there are some meetup groups and places that offer beginner lessons
• Stilts
• Aerial silk
• Aerial Yoga
• Acroyoga
• Gymnastics - some places offer adult classes
• Trampoline - at a facility like Sky Zone, mini trampoline, or regular outdoor one
• New York Jedi - lightsaber stage combat fighting
• Skateboarding
• Trapeze class
• Pole dancing
• Burlesque class
• Roller Derby
• Horseback riding

Get in a Group!
Check out your local gym's schedule (most do free trials so you can test out classes for free! Or try ClassPass

• Step aerobics
• Kick boxing
• Boot camp
• Belly dancing
• Indoor rowing
• Sport training
• Zumba
• Tai chi
• Fencing
• Yoga
• Partner yoga
• Spin class
• Pilates
• Reformer Pilates
• Dance classes - salsa, swing, ballroom dance, hip hop dance
• Zumba
• Punkrope - jump rope class
• Barre

Get outside

• Hiking (with backpack)
• Trail running
• Stair workout
• Walking - power or even race walking
• Biking
• Walking circuit -use benches curbs to add some more strength exercises
• Walking the dog- no dog? maybe volunteer
• Dog and owner boot camp condition for you and your dog
• Walking with weights
• Gardening
• Yard work
• Hill sprinting
• Sand workout
• Rollerblading / roller skating

Feeling playful

• PE workout - crab walking, bear crawl, human wheelbarrow etc
• Playground workout - do the monkey bars, use the pull up bar try your gymnastic skills, go climb a tree, find a bench to do step ups, elevated push ups, use swing set to do knee tucks, push ups, elevated lunges, rows
• Play with your kids - Lava monster, Tag, Obstacle course race (or not) Carry them, Spin them, Throw them, play running the bases, Walk with your kids- pick up the pace and do a race every so often to get interval training in
• Jump Rope
• Hula Hooping
• Hopscotch
• Skipping and Galloping
• Skip it
• Keep up the balloon
• Sports- maybe sign up for a rec league, a league at your church or a league at work, ask friends, try Meetup group, you could also try Bvddy it's like a Tinder version of a workout buddy (caution: always be careful when meeting people)

1. Tennis - it could even be just hitting the ball against a wall
2. Volleyball
3. Kickball
4. Softball
5. Baseball
6. Soccer - indoor or outdoor
7. Golf
8. Frisbee
9. Disc golf
10. Hockey
11. Lacrosse
12. Basketball -shoot hoops alone if you can't find someone to play one on one with or get a full game going
13. Foot golf- golf with your feet
14. Bocce ball
15. Dodgeball

Change it up at the gym

• HIIT
• Strength training- changing reps, do unilateral exercises (one arm at a time), add more balance do arm workouts on one leg, change up dumbbell and barbells
• Try a BOSU workout - that weird half ball blue thing. Incorporate it to your normal exercises
• Rowing machine
• Cycling
• Running - change up pace add intervals change up distance, change the incline, time a mile (or less), do a race or a meet
• TRX Workout
• Exercise ball workouts
• Kettle bell workout
• Tabata workout - 20 seconds, at maximum effort.Then you rest for 10 seconds. Then you do another move next at max effort for 20 seconds. You continue the pattern 8 times or 4 minutes total
• Plyometrics / Jump training
• Agility- set up cones shuffle zig zag run backwards
• Body weight workouts

Use technology

• DDR
• Stepmania
• Wii fit
• Xbox kinetic
• Youtube learn how to dance videos
• Youtube workout video
• Download an app (workout trainer, Nike + Training club, Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout App, FitStar, Sworkit, Fitocracy etc. )

Go to the water

• Paddle board
• Kayak
• Rowing
• Hydro biking - this is biking on top of the water
• Aqua cycling - yes they are different. This is like an underwater spin class (your head is above water though)
• Paddle board yoga
• Canoe
• Swimming - try using a kickboard, only use your arms, learn a new stroke, try to swim underwater the length of the pool
• Pool volleyball
• Surfing
• Windsurfing
• Waterskiing
• Run away from waves - yes like a seagull
• Pool cross training (aqua jogging, skipping in water, backwards running, ab workout in pool, treading water) check out this site for more ideas https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/lose-weight/total-body/pool-workout/?page=2
• Underwater rock sprinting - the group would alternate treading water while wearing 15-pound weight belts as one lucky participant

Martial arts
A lot of places have free or discounted trials so you can try it out cheap!

• Capoeria
• Mixed martial arts
• Taekwondo
• Boxing
• Kickboxing
• Stick fighting
• Brazilian jiu jitsu
• Muay Thai
• Krav Maga
• Jujutsu
• Judo
• Karate

Use unconventional equipment
Note: be sure to keep good form, pay attention to your back even with unconventional weights

• Sandbags
• Strong man workout - think cars, chain links,
• Weight sled - resistance sprints, Walking Presses, Rows, Curls and Tricep Extensions.
• Sled – An old winter sled will do, but just make sure it’s strong enough to handle the loads you’ll give it. Load it up with rocks, sandbags, or whatever else you like and pull, drag, push it for distance or time.
• Stones - throw them, carry them, pick them up
• Carts - similar to weighted sled
• Tire flipping
• Kangoo Jump shoes- they are funny looking but they double the resistance of your aerobics and reduce stress on your joints
• Medicine ball training ( slams throws, catch)
• Battle Rope Training
• Wheelbarrow – make it heavy put in dirt, sand, sandbags then walk with it
• Weighted Vest – Wear one while you perform your “normal” weight workouts or wear one while you perform bodyweight exercises.
• Sledgehammer
• Canvas Backpack – more economical go for a long hike or perform some bodyweight

Workout in the snow

• Shoveling snow - someone actually said this was they favorite workout (I guess I can't say anything because I enjoy burpees)
• Ice Skating
• Cross country skiing
• Skiing
• Snowboarding

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Get competitive

• Sign up for a race
• Time a lap swimming try to beat it
• Grab a workout buddy and finish with a little race to get your blood pumping

(Note: I am not an advocate of competing with weights or for reps in jumping form is too important in these areas to avoid injury)

Some of the ideas may be out there, but try it out you never know! Hopefully you find something on this list that you enjoy and maybe even love!

Enjoy and don't be afraid to change things up
<3 Jessica