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Whether you really enjoy working out or you struggle to keep doing it because you know you need to, it’s important to keep a balance in your workout routine. Be mindful of this regardless of the time of year. The weather is getting warmer and a lot of us would rather be outside gardening or walking. Outdoor activities are great and definitely add to our activity level, but we need to make sure we don’t lose the balance in our fitness. Here are some suggestions to keep our routines balanced all year.

1. Make Sure Your Workout Routine Incorporates the Three Components of Fitness. There are three areas of fitness that must be incorporated in your routine to have a balanced workout: Cardiovascular, Strength and Flexibility. Most people concentrate on only one or two of these areas, but not all three. It is important for overall health and to accomplish the changes you might want to realize in your body, to include at least 20 minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise, a strength training program that targets every major muscle group and a good stretching routine at least three days a week.

Most of us get in a rut and stick with what we know. Your body is adaptable and what was initially effective might not be effective now. When this happens, our exercises feel stale and we stop seeing the benefits of working out. Part of keeping a balanced workout is to be open to trying new things and changing or adding to your exercise program from time to time. Talk to your friends, read fitness articles and maybe even consult a fitness professional. However, be mindful of fads that look too good to be true.

3. Take a Class.

Group fitness classes can add a new dimension to your workout. They are fun and are also a different type of workout than you would do on your own. This will definitely help keep exercise feeling more fresh and effective. Also, when you have a class to go to you will be less likely to talk yourself out of working out. You can take a class that will help you in an area you need to focus on more. For example, if you need to work on your flexibility and strengthen your core, a Yoga or Pilates class would be a good choice for you.

4. Work with a Personal Trainer.

Most of us don’t know what exercises are best to accomplish our goals and what the proper form is. Without the knowledge and experience we usually avoid adding new exercises to our workouts and they become one dimensional. A personal trainer can work with you to get a balanced workout routine and help you see how to safely push your body to get the results you want. If you have a condition that restricts your movement in a certain part of your body, a trainer can help you work around the issue and improve your fitness and mobility. In addition, most people workout harder and the workouts are more effective when they are being motivated by someone during the workout.

5. Don’t Let Time be an Issue.

We all lead very busy lives and often taking care of ourselves comes last. Don’t forget to set aside time for a regular exercise routine in your daily life. This doesn’t have to take a tremendous amount of time. You can have a very effective workout in an hour. For example, you could run or fast walk for 30 minutes, do resistance training for 20 minutes and stretch for 10 minutes. Depending on your goals, you can change the ratio of the workout. Varying the types of workouts and increasing the intensity as you progress with your fitness level will keep your workout balanced and effective. We don’t have to work out for an overwhelming amount of time to be healthy and see results!