Do you have to drag yourself to the gym each day? Do you find yourself counting down the minutes till your time on the stairclimber is up? Have you been doing the same old exercise routine for too long? These are reasons so many people give up on regular exercise - they're bored! Or they reach a plateau because they're doing the same activity day in, day out - their body is bored and has nothing to strive for. To make sure you achieve your fitness goals for life, you need to keep exercise fresh, fun, and challenging. I'm not suggesting you completely abandon your trusty treadmill or faithful flex-fit class, but adding a new activity to your fitness schedule will help keep your body challenged and your mind motivated. A smart option is to take advantage of fitness activities you already find enjoyable and effective by building on those skills while extending their scope and challenge.

Ways to change it up/charge it up!

If you like running on the treadmill, why not try training for a 5 or 10 K run? Join a running group or club in your neighbourhood. Work on increasing the speed and/or length of your runs or add intervals (short bursts of fast sprints). Look into running on different terrain - barefoot in the sand at the beach, in water (for resistance), or uphill.

Feel like you're married to your aerobics class? (It's not that you want to be unfaithful, but the honeymoon's over!) Up the voltage by registering for a dance class that'll get your body moving and your heart pumping! For high intensity, try Brazilian Samba, Hip-Hop, or Afro-Caribbean. Just think… while you're getting in shape, you're also learning a new art form.

If your usual workout choice is weight training, why not look into another activity that uses bodyweight as resistance? Capoeira is very big right now - it's the Afro-Brazilian martial art/folk dance game where you'll be in handstands, squats, flying through the air, constantly moving and sweating. Or how about wrestling… just picture yourself heaving your opponent across the ring!

Fond of stretch and strength classes? Consider signing up for beginner ballet; as well as stretching and strengthening, it will enhance grace, good posture, and coordination. Another option is yoga, which adds the bonus of de-stressing and centering to your workout.

Hopefully these ideas will spark some of your own: be resourceful, keep those pistons firing… it's a big, wide world out there, and there's no reason to let working out become a humdrum experience!