Beat the boring workout with tougher routine

Q: I know you’ve written about achieving fitness goals before, but I’m still having a hard time sticking to what I need to do. I feel like sometimes it becomes very regimented and I don’t find exercising as fun when it’s like that. Do you have any suggestions on how to keep exercising fun? – James H.

A: Great question, James! I struggle with this same thing when things become too methodical. I’ve answered a lot of goal-related questions with answers related to taking small steps at a time to reach your goal and how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time Bound), but I’m going in a different direction this time. Small steps and S.M.A.R.T. goals are still part of the equation, but you need to mix things up a bit to keep it interesting.

I’ve been in Boston for the last week and, while I’m not a big baseball fan, I decided I had to see a Red Sox game at the historic Fenway Park. The weather was in the 60s and, as the sun went down, the breeze picked up and the Boston Red Sox took the field against the Baltimore Orioles. There’s something about being in such a historic park watching one of the oldest and most celebrated franchises, coupled with that crisp September weather that we’re not used to in Florida, that got me thinking a little clearer and a little more intently. I started evaluating the many goals that I’ve set for myself, while sitting in the right field stands and what could I pull from the game of baseball that could help me with those goals.

Like I said, I’m not a big baseball fan, so I wasn’t paying attention to the stat sheets or which player was up to bat. For me, it was Player 1 hits a base hit. Crowd cheers. Player 2 hits a base hit. Crowd cheers. If these little single base hits continue, I may leave the game early out of boredom! The next player up to bat hits the ball long and high and it soars over the outfield bleachers. Home run! The crowd is on their feet going crazy. Horns are sounding. The stadium is playing music. People high fiving. That player swinging for the fences for the home run got me reengaged in the game!

I know that sports analogies are typically pretty cliché, but I started to think about my goals differently. Maybe it was the crisp Boston air or the nostalgia of the stadium, but if we just take our goals base hit after base hit, won’t we get bored? Won’t the excitement of what we’re trying to achieve wane? We need to swing for the fences sometimes to add excitement back in to what we’re trying to achieve.

So keep the small, achievable daily goals that keep you on track day to day, but add some excitement into it from time to time. More often than not. What are you most focused on relating to your fitness goals? Are you counting calories every day? Take a cheat day and eat something that you haven’t in a long time. Don’t go crazy on an Oreo binge, but eat something that you miss eating as a reward for achieving the little achievements for the week. This kind of thing can actually stoke your metabolic furnace and restore your mental vigor.

Is your goal to lift more weight? Sometimes we get stuck in the three sets, 10 reps mix and things get boring. Get a spotter and do two sets, five reps of really heavy weight. Maybe you pick a lighter weight and try to do 100 reps of a particular exercise. Maybe you have a cardio related goal and you sign up for a road race, because you never have before. You really need to determine what gets you excited on this fitness journey you’re on. What home run can you throw into the mix of your daily base hits? The Red Sox needed more base hits than home runs to win the game, but both were needed. When you figure out what your home run in the midst of your base hits is, swing for the fences to make achieving your goals make you want to stand and cheer. Those base hits and home runs led the Red Sox to a 12-2 win over the Orioles. Mix it up and you’ll win big, too!

Patrick McGaha Jr., member experience manager at Anytime Fitness, Winter Park, is dedicated to building a welcoming environment in the club, conducive to helping members and clients reach their health fitness goals. To get your fitness and nutrition related questions answered by a certified personal trainer, or for a free personal training session, call us at 321-972-5833 or email [email protected].