Exercise boredom. It happens to the best of us. One minute we’ve got a routine sorted, getting active on a regular basis and then, all of a sudden, that thing called ‘motivation’ drops off.
“The solution to exercise boredom is finding something you enjoy. Something that doesn’t feel like a chore,” says Ritua Ali'iva'a, Auckland Council’s Fitness Lead.
“You can mix up your exercise routine to keep things fresh, so your body has to continually adapt to change. There is an unlimited number of possibilities when it comes to getting active how and when you want.”
Here are some ideas to get you moving the next time your exercise motivation is flagging:
- Walk the talk. Go for a walk with a friend or give them a call while out pounding the pavement. Catching up with a friend will take your mind off the activity and before you know it, you’ve clocked up your daily steps.
- Make it a game. Bring a deck of cards to the gym, assign an exercise to each suit and do the number of reps on the card that’s drawn. You could do squats for spades, crunches for clubs, dumbbell raises for diamonds and the crowd favourite – burpees for hearts.
- Find your zen. Take some time out with a yoga, tai chi or pilates class. It will leave your mind and body feeling refreshed and balanced. Check out the group fitness timetable at your local leisure centre.
- Get your climb on. Climb up one of our many volcanoes across Auckland or get a full-body workout by going rock climbing.
- Move your workout to the pool. Swimming, aqua jogging/walking and aqua aerobics use the natural resistance of the water to give you an intense workout.
- Multi-task. Do a bodyweight programme (Five50) while watching your favourite TV show at home. Five50 consists of five sets of:
- 10 squats
- 10 burpees
- 10 sit-ups
- 10 mountain climbers
- 10 second rest
- Take the stairs. Skip the lift and take the stairs. It’s a simple and easy way to get some exercise into your day without the effort of scheduling in a workout before or after work/school pick-up.
- Join a team. Sports leagues are a great way to exercise and meet new people. Get your own team together or talk to your local leisure centre to join an existing one. Visit for a list of centres offering sports leagues.
- Turn chores into a workout. Talk about two birds, one stone. Throw in a few added lunges while vacuuming and squats while folding the washing, and you’ve got yourself a workout fit for the gym.
Need some more ideas on how you can keep active? Have a chat with our team of qualified fitness experts at Auckland Council Pools and Leisure.
