Unique ways to get fit

(ARA) - One of the toughest challenges to losing weight and staying fit is boredom. Jogging for hours on a treadmill, walking around the same neighborhood blocks, repeating a fitness video for the hundredth time or even following a planned weight lifting routine get old really quickly.

Experts usually recommend you vary your workout routines to keep the boredom at bay. Here are some unique tips to get fit:

* Train your muscles while you're doing something else like working at your desk. Find an exercise ball or yoga ball that you can bounce on while you're typing on your keyboard or talking on the phone at work. Bouncing up and down allows you to burn some energy, while also training your core muscles, forcing you to sit straighter. By the end of the work day, you can burn a lot more calories than you would just slouching in a chair. And since your brain is already occupied with work assignments, you won't have the opportunity to become bored with the exercise.

* Put on some music and get your hips and ribs swinging while using weighted hula hoops. Sports Hoop has several different styles of weighted hoops to help you build strength around your core, arms and shoulders. Plus hula hooping is excellent cardiovascular exercise that helps you to correct your posture and alignment. Get your entire family involved in a contest to see who can keep the hula hoop going the longest. Or challenge yourself to using different areas of the body - not just for the mental stimulation, but also to target different muscles.

* Plan a fun event that includes movement like walking, bike riding, inline skating or any other form of foot transportation. Some suggestions include organizing a group scavenger hunt, or a garden walking tour. Schedule these events once a month just to give everyone in the group a nice variety of physical exercise.

* Sign up for classes in an unusual or adventure sport. Think about trying rock climbing to work the hand, arm and leg muscles. Or splash into different bodies of water while snorkeling or scuba diving. Consider signing up for a different style of dance class, like belly dancing or even square dancing. If you determine that you don't enjoy whatever sport or class it is that you're trying, switch to a new one, just to keep things interesting.

You're more likely to be successful, lose weight and maintain a physically fit body if you enjoy the workout programs you're doing. So get creative, try some of these ideas and tackle the challenge to be healthy.

Courtesy of ARAcontent