How to Make Winter Exercise Easier

If you're bound and determined to exercise inside for the duration of winter (as I'm often tempted to do), you may find yourself getting bored with the same old workouts. Even the variety of machines and activities at the gym can get old when you do them over and over. To keep yourself interested, try mixing up your workouts and trying some new ideas:

• Mix and Match your Cardio. If you tend to do the same machines all the time, try a cardio medley. Choose 5 different machines and spend 5 or more minutes on each. Or choose 3 machines and hit each for 15 minutes. Mixing things up can make your workouts seem shorter and more interesting. Try this Cardio Medley Workout for ideas.
• Mix and Match your Strength Training. If you've been doing the same old routine for awhile, try mixing things up by using different types of resistance. Try doing one exercise on a machine (e.g., a chest press) and then an exercise for the same muscle group with the cables or a resistance band (e.g., crossover chest flies). Or, start at the end of your workout and work your way backwards. Just changing the order of the exercise can keep things interesting. Try this Mixed Resistance Workout for a new way to train your upper body.
• Mix and Match Cardio and Strength. Another way to perk up is to combine cardio and strength in a circuit. Try 5 minutes on the treadmill and then do a minute of squats before a few minutes on the elliptical, etc. This Circuit Workout will give you some ideas for how to create your own workout.