Shake up your gym routine

If you hit the same spinning class every week, you need to shake things up, says our resident fitness expert, Lisa Raleigh...

 Once your body knows what to expect, it can hit a weight-loss plateau, where you still put in the time but stop seeing changes. Mix up your workout and recruit different muscles regularly to keep your body guessing (and burning fat!)

Lifting heavier weights for less reps helps to build strength and shed fat. Start with a weight that is manageable for 15 reps. Add weight over time until you’ve found a weight that is heavy enough for only eight to ten reps. As long as you’re keeping good form, this is your ticket to higher fat burns.

Soup up your workouts with sprints. Whether done outdoors, on a treadmill, or an elliptical, short bursts of very hard work followed by a period of recovery is the best bang-for-your-buck workout. Sprint for 60 seconds, followed by two minutes at an easier pace. Repeat eight to twelve times.

When it comes to training, turn up the tunes. Music does more than motivate, it can improve your workout, too. Studies show that upbeat songs while you exercise help you perform better overall.

If you want to monitor your weight loss, don’t be a stickler to the scale. Skip the numerous weighing sessions per day, and rather opt for a weekly check-in. Better yet, monitor your weight loss month to month, for a more accurate and less fluctuating feedback on your progress.

Catch Lisa Raleigh on Wellness in the WorkZone every day, Monday to Friday