Instead of clearing your diary to find extra time in the gym – or worse still, becoming so demoralised that you give up – it’s time to change your workout. Most of us are creatures of habit, so even though we know we should be varying our exercise routines to stop this happening, we stick to our old routines, and we even risk injury by using the same muscles day in, day out.

However, rather than just swapping the treadmill for the rowing machine, you need to switch everything up, not just varying the activities, but the length of time you do them for, the intensity, and even where you’re doing them. It’s the constant adaptation that stops us from grinding to a halt, leading to better fitness and better weight loss.

If this seems too confusing to stick to, then don’t worry – it’s easier than it seems, all it needs is a little planning. If you’re a real stickler for routine, then this is for you, since you will be working out a few plans to rotate over a period of a few weeks. Vary your cardio activity, and also whether it’s for intensity or endurance; the key is to make sure that no two training sessions are the same, and that you never do two workouts designed for the same end back to back. You may want to discuss your initial plans with a personal trainer, and check in with them every month or so to make adjustments – it’s easy to decide on a plan which is either too tough or too easy for your current level of fitness, and if you don’t factor in suitable warm ups and cool downs, including plenty of stretches, you are in danger of picking up a sports injury.

By their nature, sports injuries can be hard for your GP to diagnose. Waiting lists can also be long for hospital scans, so a private MRI in London is a good idea to speed up the process, especially if your workout is crucial to your physical or mental health, or if the injury is such that you are unable to carry out even day to day tasks without pain, let alone follow an exercise regime. A quick diagnosis can help you get the treatment you need to get back to your best.

And let’s face it, going to the gym or going for a run is not only hard work, it is also flippin’ boring. So what if there was a way for you to get fit, lose weight, AND enjoy yourself? Wouldn’t that be great? Well there is. In fact there are a whole host of different ways that you can get exercising whilst having fun, and personal trainer course provider Body Aidhave put together five of their favourites below.

Attend a Boot Camp

When you hear the phrase ‘Boot Camp’ it may be the thought of military drill sergeants yelling “Go faster you maggot” that spring to mind rather than having any kind of fun.

However, although unquestionably physically demanding, boot camps can be incredibly enjoyable to take part in. You’ll get to meet new people, work with motivated trainers who will encourage you all the way and you will definitely shed some serious pounds.

The Wolf Run

Remember when you were a kid and you’d play in mud and lakes for hours on end, just running around like a lunatic? Well the Wolf Run, lets you relive those crazy childhood days.

Based in Warwickshire and comprising of approximately 10km of natural and man-made obstacles, the Wolf Run puts the fun back into running, presenting its participants with an event that is as challenging as it is enjoyable.

Like with a fun run, it is all about the taking part, and it is also a great activity for a work bonding day.

Join a Dance Class/Sports Club

If you’re looking for something you can do on a weekly basis then signing up for a dance class or sports team is a great way of getting some exercise that doesn’t necessarily feel like exercise.

You’ll meet new people, perhaps even learn a new skill, but best of all you’ll be improving your fitness and losing weight at the same time! Depending on where you live, there will be all kinds of dance lessons available, be it Zumba, Salsa or Street dance, while most UK towns will also have some sort of amateur sports league at a local leisure centre or sports facility.

Pole Dancing Classes

One for the ladies perhaps, but it is a hobby that is becoming increasingly popular with people looking to find a new and fun way to exercise. They are designed for women of all shapes and sizes, and because ‘looking sexy’ has absolutely nothing to do with it, you only have to worry about having fun.

A fantastic all-body as well as cardio workout, pole dancing lessons will leave you fitter and more toned. 

Parkour/Free Running

Parkour (or Free Running as it is also known) turns urban environments into sprawling obstacle courses and playgrounds. Although it takes years of training and dedication to master the art, beginners’ classes are available all over the country, teaching the basics of Parkour while also helping to improve fitness and range of movement.

It represents a unique and fun take on more traditional keep-fit methods.

This means that receiving advice and guidance from professionals and experts can be of benefit. However, it also means getting help and assistance with what you want to put into your body. The old sayings of “you are what you eat” or “rubbish in, rubbish out” are all very true with respect to building muscles. The right diet can help you to feel great but there is also a lot to be said for taking supplements to provide you with further benefits in your muscle growth goals.

While protein supplements are very popular, you may receive more effective results by adding glutamine supplements to your regular routine. This is an amino acid and it has become a popular supplement amongst many within the body building and weight lifting community.

Glutamine is a very versatile supplement

There are many different benefits provided by glutamine and for this reason, it is considered to be one of the most versatile supplements. The human body has a number of amino acids in it but glutamine is the one that is most commonly found. As well as being found in the muscles, glutamine can be found in the brain, in your liver, in your lungs and even in your blood.

Help your muscle tissue to stay healthy

Scientific research has uncovered that exercise impacts on the muscle tissue, causing it to release sizeable doses of glutamine. If you work out regularly or in an intense manner, you may find that your glutamine levels will drop. In some cases, glutamine has been found to drop by around 50%. People working out intensely or regularly will find that their body uses up and gives out more glutamine than is found in a regular diet and what can be produced by the body.

One of the biggest reasons to add glutamine to your routine is the fact that it is an anti-catabolic agent. This means it can play a crucial role in preventing muscles tissues which are set to metabolised from breaking down. When the level of glutamine in the body falls, particularly after workouts, muscle tissue can be damaged and the body may enter a catabolic state. Therefore, adding glutamine to your body can prevent this from happening.

Take glutamine and stay healthy

A drop in glutamine can also impact on your immune system. This means if you are looking to stay as healthy as possible, topping up your glutamine levels makes a lot of sense. It is important to ensure that your immune system is properly fuelled when you are working hard. This can help to minimise the risk of overtraining and the negative side effects that come with this situation.

Another strong reason why many athletes look to boost their glutamine levels comes with the fact that it provides an anti-inflammatory benefit. This can help to reduce the level of inflammation that some athletes and body builders experience after a workout. For this reason, glutamine is also a supplement that is recommended for patients who are recovering from surgery or for people who have suffered burns, trauma and other ailments.

Just a quick one today, why do I train? The answer is a simple one, I want to stay fit and healthy. For anyone reading this who does train, you’ll know one of the other positive things about exercising is that you’ll end up looking as well as feeling great but I didn’t start training to get ripped abs. Ask yourself this, why do you train?

For those of you who are thinking about starting to train, remember that I was in your position a few years ago. I’ve always been an active person so I didn’t have loads of weight to lose but I needed to change my mindset. I was getting myself into a bad routine and I felt if I didn’t change it soon, I could end up putting on weight without even knowing it. I needed a training and nutritional programme in place that would help and maintain my health and fitness levels.

When I started to train, I wasn’t just doing this for a few months leading up to my holidays and then forgetting about it. It was for life. As well as changing my routine and my lifestyle, I needed a realistic training programme in place. I don’t have the time to train everyday and this is something I don’t agree with anyway. I believe your body benefits just as much from your days off as it does on the days you train. I’ll leave this opinion to another article so watch this space. I currently exercise 4-5 times a week. This is perfect for me and more importantly, it doesn’t interfere with my family time. I train during the week once my kids are in bed and parkrunis early on a Saturday morning. When I completed my Pier to Pier run back in May, my family was with me so it was great!

I’ve never and never will be on a diet. I believe in using common sense and eating anything in moderation will lead to a balanced diet. I don’t calorie count and I don’t use supplements.

Having said all of that, what works for one won’t necessarily work for another. Everyone is different, so you must find what works for you. This article is about why I train so you need to ask yourself the same question or hopefully, why should you train? Deano, I and the rest of our writers are here to help you so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like any advice.

Stay fit and healthy folks,