Refresh Your Fitness Routine For the New Year

Tips for freshening up your exercise routine in the New Year.

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Whether you’re a seasoned fitness enthusiast or a resolution-driven exercise newbie, there are always ways to freshen up your routine. If your New Year’s resolutions involve getting more exercise, use these strategies to set yourself up for success.

Gear

Instead of calorie-laden celebrations, reward your hard work with a little retail therapy. Set realistic exercise goals such as a personal record on the treadmill or increased daily steps for a week, and then reward yourself with some new threads. Target and Kohl’s have durable and fashionable exercise clothing and shoes. Under Armour, Athleta and Lululemon offer high-end options that fit beautifully and are on trend with latest fashions. No matter what your budget you can find some new gear to get excited about.

Fuel

In the wake of holiday gluttony, it’s likely time to freshen up your diet. This doesn’t mean slashing all calories as you need fuel for workouts, but giving some elements of your diet an upgrade can have a big impact.

Focus on healthy breakfasts to start your day. Whip up oatmeal spiked with a spoonful of peanut butter and sliced banana, a smoothie made with frozen fruit, Greek yogurt and coconut water, or an on-the-go egg sandwich stacked with baby spinach and Canadian bacon.

Reach for protein-rich snacks to close out a workout. Chocolate milk is always a good choice to give muscles what they need, as are choices like cottage cheese with fruit and honey, trail mix or a burrito with chicken breast and brown rice.

Cross Train

A change of season calls for different methods of exercise. Changing up the type of activity will help parts of your body get some rest while working other more neglected muscles groups. If you’re a runner take some yoga classes, if you’re into barre try spinning, and if you focus mostly on weight training up your cardio time. This switch will likely burn more calories and make you stronger overall.

Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC, is a registered dietitian, certified athletic trainer and owner of  Dana White Nutrition, Inc. , which specializes in culinary and sports nutrition.

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