Today I’ve got a special guest post from my friend Natalie Wolfe. Learn more about Natalie, and her amazing app StudioHop, below the post!

Yoga. Pilates. Barre. CrossFit. Running. Stretching. Walking. Spin. HIIT. There are so many fitness options these days, but how do you choose just one? Answer: you don’t. Although varying up your fitness routine is no new concept, it’s certainly something to revisit whether you’re new to regular exercise or you’re a boutique fitness guru. There are countless reasons why we should all be mixing up our workouts regularly, but I’m going to highlight the top 7. Let’s hop right in, shall we?

1. It’s way more fun. Doing the same workout day after day is a recipe for complete boredom followed by burnout. If you’re an avid HIIT class taker at a specific studio, try adding a yoga class in once a week. If you’re used to hitting the gym and doing your own thing everyday, try a spin class. If you’re walking the trail everyday, add in a Pilates class. Either way, if you incorporate new activities, you’re bound to have more fun, actually enjoy your workouts and –gasp- even look forward to your next sweat session.
2. It keeps your body guessing. Your body will adapt after it gets used to your workouts. You know when you’re in yoga class and you know what move they’re going to call out next and your body goes into cruise control mode? That’s a problem. Your body is saying “yeah, yeah, yeah, we know what’s next” and you’re not challenging your body or your mind at that point. By adding in different activities, like say, running and barre classes, you keep your body guessing, which in turn keeps your body challenged and primed for change. The key here is to vary up your workouts during the week, so do Monday yoga, Tuesday run, Wednesday barre, etc.
3. You will benefit your mind, body and soul. Like I mentioned above, your mind also benefits from switching things up. Your actually having to use your brain since your body is not leading your workout—you are (or you’re listening to your instructor to find out what’s next). I have found that dance-based classes with choreography are wonderful for my mind in conjunction with my body. In addition to your mind, your body is being challenged, and your soul is benefiting from the joy-producing workouts you’re now experiencing. This may sound like crazy talk, but once you begin looking forward to your workouts, you are taking care of yourself and filling your cup to produce the confidence you’ll need for the rest of your day.
4. You will avoid burnout & injuries. When you’re mixing up your workouts, ideally you’re alternating high intensity with low intensity exercises. Some days your body doesn’t need an all out strength training HIIT-based class. Sometimes your body is screaming for a deep stretch or meditation. When you add those lower intensity workouts in, you’ll allow your body time to heal and you’ll perform better in those higher intensity sessions.
5. You’ll actually notice results. Now, because your body is being challenged and you’re allowing your body time to heal and stretch, you will absolutely notice results that you may have never gotten. Weight loss, muscle gain, more endurance or just peace of mind. All of these things can be achieved through simply varying up your workouts. Try to incorporate a mix of core, balance, strength, cardio and stretching into your routine. Do what you enjoy the most since that’s what you’ll most likely stick with!
6. You’ll probably make some new friends. Finally, when you make time to workout and try some new classes or ways to workout, you will encounter different environments, vibes, and people. This is a great way to make new friends! Find a group to run with. Try a new spin class or attend a fitness event. Say hello to the person next to you at yoga. The bottom line is we’re all in it together—no matter what your personal goals are for your workouts, we’re all out here trying to improve our wellbeing and we all know working out with friends is way more fun.

Hopefully you’re now convinced that mixing up your workouts is the ONLY way to go. Whether you like to sweat on your own or need an extra little push with group fitness, there are so many options and ways to get your workout in at home, outside, or inside a gym. If you’d like to try some new boutique fitness studios, feel free to sign up for a $10 trial with StudioHop. This will give you 3 classes to complete in 2 weeks, and then it’s month-to-month from there with plenty of options like 4 or 8 classes per month to supplement something else you’re doing, or go all in with unlimited classes throughout the month. If you’d like to get a taste of what StudioHop is all about, check out our Instagram at @studiohopfit. Either way, I hope you’ll be inspired to start mixing up your fitness routine now or try adding something new in—even if that’s walking your dog (I totally count that as a workout!) or maybe playing a little tennis or taking up yoga at home.

Natalie is the CEO and founder at StudioHop, an app that provides memberships to a variety of boutique fitness studios. Born in Dallas, raised in Austin, she graduated from Southern Methodist University with degrees in journalism and Spanish. She’s passionate about variety (and we’re talking fitness studios, restaurants/bars, and everything in between) and is a big believer in giving your body what it needs whether that be a yoga class or a chocolate chip cookie. Her goal is to make “working out” fun, friendly and something that gives you the confidence that makes you feel on top of the world. Natalie loves long walks on the Katy Trail with her husband Ryan and puppy Annabelle (unfortunately Dallas is landlocked), weekend getaways to her hometown Austin, Texas and margaritas.