Alternate Exercises

Tired of feeling like the path to health and wellness is a long, drawn out path? Then start small! Use these quick five- minute fixes to boost your health and to reach your goals one step at a time!

Wear a pedometer to determine the distance you walk each day. Shoot for 10,000 steps per day. If you aren’t reaching that goal, add an extra mile to your routine or take the steps instead of the escalator whenever possible.
Add jumping to your exercise routine – also known as plyometric moves – to build muscle and improve your bone density. Try jump squats or scissor lunges in your next routine.
Spend the extra money to purchase good work out necessities – clothing, shoes, bras, supports, etc. Purchasing the better brands versus going the cheaper route will ensure that you use them and that they are the best for your workout.
Consider the other ways that you can lose weight without really trying – clean the house and burn 200 calories or work in the garden and burn 272 calories.
Even if you travel or spend all day in a car or on a plane, still try to fit in physical activity. Take advantage of bathroom breaks by stretching and doing some light exercise. Walk briskly through the airport in between flights if traveling by plane.
Build better bones and as much bone density as you can by doing weight-bearing activities like running or jumping as much as you can in your twenties and thirties.
Yoga has many health benefits for your body and your mind. Even if you are a novice, take a class and try something different.
Work out with your significant other or a friend or family member. This allows you to be a spotting partner for one another or just spend some quality time together working out.

If you are getting tired of the same old gym workout day after day, then luckily there are plenty of other options out there to shake things up a little bit. Here are some fun and interesting ways to add a little something different to your daily gym routine.

Mixed martial arts training and conditioning – If you have even seen a mixed martial artist then you know that they are in top physical shape. Not only are they lean, but are also very strong. Some gyms offer MMA circuit training, but if they don’t you can perform all of your exercises in one big superset, rest and then repeat.

Resistance training – Many gyms now offer plenty of different options when it comes to resistance training and you can spot chains and bands virtually anywhere in most gyms. You can begin using these bands and chains by putting them on the ends of barbells and dumbbells. As you lift, the weight will get heavier. While this is an often-overlooked technique, it is an excellent way to increase strength and size quickly.

Non-traditional implements – Not all gyms will have tractor tires, sleds and sledgehammers lying around, but if they do, then you should be using them! Implementing these non-traditional items into your workout is a great way to increase strength, improve conditioning and increase power.

Train unilaterally – By training unilaterally, or one side at a time, you can quickly point out weak spots while eliminating the need to do other parts of your workout that you used to do to make up for these weak spots.

Rest actively – If you find that you are spending lots of time at the gym and not seeing results, you may be spending too much time resting. If you rest for two minutes in between sets, either shorten that to one minute or do another quick exercise, such as jumping rope, during one of those two minutes.

Five Minute Fixes

Fitness for All: Switch up Your Workout!