4 Ways to Switch up Your Workout

Keep fit and have fun...

Neo Mosoeunyane is an exercise science major at Wittenberg University in Ohio, USA. She is from Lesotho and is interested in sports and exercise as a whole in the country. Her key focus is team and personal fitness. “I believe that we as a nation have a lot of work to do in this field,” she says.

Today she discusses cool ways to keep your workout fun and interesting.

Keeping fit does not have to be a boring and tedious routine. If you are like me, you get bored pretty fast with routines. Working out should be a fun way to keep healthy and blow some steam. Whether you are keeping fit at home or the gym, when things start to get tedious it becomes very easy to find excuses and lose interest.

One way I keep myself excited to stay fit is by switching it up.  Below are my four favourite ways to keep fit as well as YouTube links to some of my favourite home workouts. Doing different things and challenging myself in different ways always keeps me on my toes and excited to go workout. 

Morning yoga to start your day

1. Yoga is always a good way to have a fun workout with so many variations and intensities to choose from. It’s refreshing for the mind and body. Sometimes underestimated by fitness buffs, yoga can play a significant role in improving your muscle strength and tone, increasing flexibility and even helping with weight-loss. My favourite yoga workouts are by Adrienne Louise. On her YouTube channel, Yoga with Adrienne, there are lots of videos to choose from for all levels of expertise. I love that depending on how much time I have, I can always get a great Yoga session following one of her videos.

Dancehall Workout

2. Aerobic Dancing is really an umbrella term for so many variations of dance workouts. Zumba, jazzercise, and belly dancing all fall under this umbrella term giving you a lot to choose from. One of the great things about dancing is its ability to accommodate everyone from beginners to advanced dancers all in one session.  

Aerobic dancing is a great high energy workout that improves your cardiovascular endurance, meaning your lungs and heart’s ability to sustain physical activity for prolonged periods of time. It’s also great for mental stimulation. When I’m looking for a great dance workout I always look to Keaira Lashae’s YouTube channel. From dancehall to Tabata workouts, you name it, she’s got it. Her workouts are always fun and challenging.

Strength training improves bone density

3. Strength Training has an immense amount of benefits. As you age, man or woman, you lose both your bone density and strength training is one of the best ways to counteract this natural process. Lunges, squats and step ups with weights have been proven as most beneficial in improving bone density. Always incorporate strength training into your workout regimen, especially if you are at higher risk of osteoporosis. More so strength training improves muscular strength, balance and increases the amount of calories your body burns. Although my strength workouts vary, I always make sure to incorporate squats, bench press, lateral dips, deadlifts and curls into the mix.

Running cultivates body and mind

4. Running – There is nothing better than going for a run after a stressful day. Running is not only a great exercise for the mind but is especially beneficial for the body. From improving your cardiovascular health, to toning up your muscles, running has a plethora of benefits. More than anything, running simply makes you happier. Often referred to as the runner’s high, when you run, your body releases endorphins into the brain which make one feel happier and upbeat. A 5KM run always does it just right for me!