Change Your Fitness Routine To Change Your Life
It is January 31st, and most people have abandoned their New Year’s resolutions. Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) reports that 88% of people who set New Year’s resolutions fail before the end of January. But that does not need to be you. Instead of giving up on fitness, switch it up! Read more about the benefits of fitness for those in the corporate world.
Variety is the spice of life, and it is also the not-so-secret ingredient to fitness and well-being. During my wellness journey, I found that I could break through a plateau by switching things up. That goes for switching up food choices but, as importantly, exercise.
10 Fitness Routines to Spice Up Your Life
I have done 10+ exercise routines besides my old standby, walking. Here are 10 exercise routines, starting with those I began with when I was 350+ and moving on to my latest favorite, spinning. I hope these give you some ideas for your fitness journey.
Water Aerobics
This is a great exercise when restoring fitness (and always great!). When I started it, I was 350+ and could walk less than a quarter mile without getting winded. I was a little self-conscious wearing a bathing suit, but it was a way to get moving and not stress my joints. Read more about the importance of easing into a routine.
Elliptical Training
You may think the next exercise would be walking, but I could not walk comfortably. My back would tighten up after less than a half mile. This was humbling for a guy who did 20+ mile marches in his younger days. But I needed to get some fitness back first, so I went on the elliptical trainer. I would do intervals – first level 1 – 5 (a minute each) and then 5 – 10. We had a Facebook exercise group started by Sister In Law Sheri, and each day, I would post a poem about my exercise. An example during this time: 5 miles of the typical, rocking the elliptical (Ok, not a perfect fitness rhyme, but just starting!)
Stretching and Yoga for Fitness
I still could not walk well, so I did beginner’s Yoga each Saturday. This, by far, was the best weight loss exercise. I am as flexible as a rock, but I wanted to return to walking, so I tried it. I lost 8 lbs. in one class! Flexibility is essential to fitness and to protect against injury when working out.
Walking and Hiking for Fitness
Now that I had lost some weight, I began walking and Hiking. Walking and hiking are the ultimate fitness exercises; you can do them even when working. Below, you see me at Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin, taking a call for work. You can always work in walking for fitness. Get a hotel about a mile from work and walk instead of Uber.
Tabata
Near the end of my fitness journey, I got stuck for four weeks, could not lose weight, and even gained some weight. That is when I learned about Tabata, an exercise routine established in Japan. It consists of bursts of high-intensity exercise with brief periods of rest. I got an app on IOS called Tabatach (Tabata and Watch—there are others). I did this after my walk, which kicked the weight loss back into gear. For best results, alternate cardio and weight-bearing Tabata exercises.
Weightlifting for Fitness
I also went to an old standby for fitness—weightlifting. I usually practice the total fatigue lifting process taught to me by my football coaches. You do 8 -12 reps and then negative reps (you usually need a partner) until you burn out that muscle group. You then move on to the next largest muscle group until you complete a circuit. But there are many other methods and weights. I also love Kettlebell exercises for weightlifting.
Fun Runs
When I began to move well, I started doing Fun Runs again. I returned to the BIX—a 7-mile run in the Quad Cities—which I had not done in over 10 years. That return year, I completed it and had a little fun along the way! See me below singing Karaoke along the course! Since then, I have participated in several fun runs and several Ruck marches for charity and fun.
Dancing
I love to dance and am best when it is non-choreographed, but I have taken several Zumba classes. I completed 20,000 steps dancing from midnight to 2 AM to the 80s cover group, the Spazmatics. Weddings are a perfect place to dance. I devised a motto for eating and dancing at a wedding: “Dance so you can fit in your pants!”
Functional Integrated Training (F.I.T) and Body Weight Exercises
F.I.T. involves cardio with weights and body weight exercises to get the best of both worlds. Also, with the weight off, I could now do push-ups again! Maybe not up to West Point Clicker-board, but I kept doing them, and my form improved. Another routine in this category that I love is cross-fit.
Spinning
One of my most recent loves is Spinning on the Peloton and in courses. AMP, Power, Edge – I have done them all. I have even become a Stages Certified Cycle Instructor. Here is more on spinning for fitness.
And there you have it! I could have even added my Rocky boxing routine, but that is enough. Get out there in 2025 and switch up your fitness routine.
