Tips from Canyon Ranch Experts: Ways to Take Your Workout to the Next Level

Enjoying your weekly workout routine is rewarding and motivating. However, week after week of the same type of exercise can begin to feel stale, and can impact your overall health. When you feel like taking your fitness to the next level, consider these four tips from Canyon Ranch Experts.

1. Mix It Up

While you may have found the workouts that work best with your schedule, consider changing one part of your routine. Consider trying a new pilates, dance, or water aerobics class. Take yoga to the next level with Aerial Yoga, which utilizes a supportive “hammock” (a strong loop of material that hangs from the ceiling) to explore poses that can actually improve your strength and flexibility. For a more intense strength and cardio workout, consider adding Tabata challenges to your routine. This workout- involves a consistent protocol of exercises – 20 seconds of all-out effort, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for four minutes total. Tabata is a HIIT workout (High-Intensity IntervalTraining), so you’ll burn more calories and improve endurance, core strength and muscle tone.

2. Don’t Do it Alone

Not only does working out with a partner help keep you motivated, it’s fun. Research has shown 76% of people tend to fail when working out alone, so if you are one of them, then find a friend. Social exercisers may find it easier to tune in to their breathing or their body’s rhythm during a workout by training alone from time to time. Canyon Ranch in Lenox Director of Fitness, Laura Chevalier suggests challenging a friend. “Not only is working out with a partner more fun, you can challenge each other to run longer, or do an extra push-up.”

3. Get Tech Savvy

Technology and Fitness is a certainly a growing trend in our society, and if you aren’t looking to unplug when working out, the right fitness App or equipment can lead to improving your current workout. Is cardio your game? Using a heart-rate monitor can help increase your intensity, according to Chevalier. “A heart rate monitor is really helpful because you can see a workout’s intensity and what it’s actually doing for you cardio-wise. Knowing your intensity tells you if you are in the target zone for training and seeing those numbers can verify for people that yes, this is actually a good cardio workout.” Using other Apps can have a similar impact, and many have the added fun of challenging friends.

4. When in Doubt, Ask for Help

Not sure how you want to improve your fitness? Seeking guidance? Seek the advice and help of a Personal Trainer. Find a certified trainer who can evaluate your current fitness level, your goals, and create a personalized program to help get you there. As an added bonus, the motivation from your trainer and the relationship you build will push you to the next level.

Join us at Canyon Ranch in Lenox for our upcoming Fitness Featured Event, Ironstrength with Jordan Metzl, MD– September 2-4, 2017. If you’re an aspiring or accomplished endurance athlete, you won’t want to miss this weekend of complimentary workouts, education and fun hosted by Jordan D. Metzl, MD, author, 35-time marathoner, 14-time Ironman triathlete and nationally renowned sports medicine physician. Dr. Metzl will share his expertise and lead you in challenging exercise. Enjoy an exciting roster of activities, including a special presentation from Dr. Metzl based on his newest book, Dr. Jordan Metzl’s Workout Prescription: 10, 20 & 30-Minute High-Intensity Interval Training Workouts for Every Fitness Level. Take home invaluable knowledge, motivation and strategies to beat your personal best and keep aiming higher!

About Canyon Ranch

Canyon Ranch® has been a pioneer and an industry-leading proponent of the wellness lifestyle for nearly 40 years, operating the world’s most celebrated collection of life-enhancement properties. Canyon Ranch has wellness destinations in Tucson, Ariz. and Lenox, Massachusetts. In addition, Canyon Ranch operates a SpaClub® day spa at The Venetian® & The Palazzo® hotels in Las Vegas, Nev., Canyon Ranch SpaClub at Sea® facilities onboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2® luxury ocean liner, Oceania® and Regent Seven Seas Cruises®, and on Celebrity Cruises®. Canyon Ranch is a 13-time winner of Travel + Leisure’s Best Spa Award and an 11-time recipient of the Condé Nast Traveler Best Destination Spa Award.