Ever felt stuck in a fitness rut? A new study suggests that mixing it up with an unfamiliar workout could actually encourage you to exercise more in the future
We’re told that exercising regularly is key to developing fitness, but sometimes a routine can get too, well, routine. We’ve long suspected that the key to keeping your fitness motivation fresh is mixing it up a bit, and now we’ve got the science to prove it.
The study published in Psychology & Health asked two groups of women to either walk the same old walk on a treadmill or take a hula hoop for a spin for 30 minutes. The women who spent the session shaking their hips, an unfamiliar activity, reported feeling more positive during the activity. They also said they felt much more inclined to exercise again in the future compared to the group slogging it out on the same old treadmill.
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We wouldn’t go as far as suggesting you throw out your gym membership or forgo your favourite running routes forever, but making the effort to step outside your sweat comfort zone once in a while could benefit your mood and your future motivation.
If you’re looking to try something new with your fitness routine, or you’re not sure where to start, Project Me is the one for you. With 24 weeks of expert workouts, recipes and tips, it’s your one-stop guide to kickstarting your journey to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle.
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