(BPT) - Fitness is central to your well-being and ability to enjoy life to the fullest, however it's easy to get stuck in a rut. How do you find new interest and motivation so you're ready to maximize the warm weather months?

Dan Gaz, physical activity and assessment program manager at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, says there are many things people can do to get a jump-start on their health and wellness.
"Fitness doesn't have to be complicated or boring," says Gaz. "There are many creative ways to implement fitness activities into your life that are both fun and invigorating."

Gaz suggests five simple ways to get a jump-start on summer fitness and energize your workout routine:

Try something new

Gaz says getting outside your comfort zone can be beneficial to your health. "Trying something new helps keep your fitness plan fresh. Plan a visit to the local farmers market to pick up produce. Sign up for a 5k run, or look at your local community education or rec center class catalog and sign up for activities. The social dynamics of these types of events benefit mental as well as physical health."

Get outside

"Getting outdoors is rejuvenating," Gaz says. "Taking a walk in nature is a nice change of pace that is good for the body and mind.” You can go for a walk, run or take a stroll around a local park. “Just being outdoors shakes things up and you may find higher levels of energy as you breathe in the fresh air. Plus, getting a daily dose of vitamin D from the sun does the body good."

Bring friends

"It's no secret when you work out with other people they tend to hold you accountable, but there’s also more benefit than just that," says Gaz. "When you take an exercise class, join a running club or biking group, you may end up pushing yourself harder. The people next to you become your exercise advocates and suddenly, you'll have the desire to keep up and do more. This can accelerate reaching your fitness goals."

Rethink commuting

"Anything you can do to break up the monotony of sitting is a good thing.” Try being creative in commuting and how you travel throughout the day. "If possible, walk or bike to work or the grocery store. You can also take the bus, get off a couple blocks early and walk the rest of the way. A little planning ahead of time can help you accomplish multiple things at once: You're getting exercise, completing an errand and reducing your carbon footprint."

Be purposeful

"You may only have a few minutes a day to dedicate to exercise, but that doesn't mean you can't make a big impact," says Gaz. "Being purposeful with your choices is important. For example, use intervals in your workout routine to maximize outcomes. If you enjoy walking, do a brisk 30 or 60 seconds, then walk slower for the same period of time before pushing yourself again. This type of interval training is simple, yet highly effective. It works similarly for other activities like swimming, biking and running."

To find more tips about improving your health with creative approaches to exercise or to set up a visit with a wellness expert, visit healthyliving.mayoclinic.org.
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(BPT) - Imagine waking up early on a Monday morning with a smile on your face. You’re excited to get the week started because you love what you do. Or how about taking a Tuesday afternoon all to yourself, without having to ask permission and use your precious vacation time? It might sound like a dream, but with a career in fitness, it could be your reality.

A career in fitness is not only flexible, but financially rewarding, and caters to a variety of personalities. The fitness industry is booming, so there’s plenty of opportunities to grow and be successful with your very own business. If you’ve been on the fence about a career in the fitness industry, here are some reasons that might convince you to finally make the switch.

Make a living by helping others.

“I love nothing more than using the research based, scientifically proven approach I have learned through my education to help others accomplish their goals,” says Heather Esterline, a graduate of Life Time Academy, a professional fitness trainer program that lets you step into the industry and build upon your career goals. Working in the fitness industry is highly rewarding as you help people improve their health. You have the opportunity to be an important mentor and trusted friend in every client’s life.

See tangible results when working with clients.

As you work with clients and watch them reach their goals, you can see the results of your knowledge and expertise. Whether you’re helping someone lose weight, gain muscle or simply learn the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, you’ll be rewarded as each client continues to make progress.

Choose your specialty.

Whether you want to be a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, yoga teacher or even a health club owner, you have the chance to choose your focus. No matter how you want to enter the fitness industry, there’s a class or program to pave your path. Life Time Fitness’ personal training certification program offers several different courses and passes to help you earn the credentials you need to get your career off the ground. The Life Time Academy has two different certification courses that start on October 17 — the Premier and Elite Certification courses. During the Elite Professional Fitness Trainer Courses, participants not only become certified throughout the 24-week course, but also get hands on experience during an externship consisting of 120 hours, altogether equaling 260 contact hours. If learning the foundations of personal training and corrective exercise is more of your interest, the Premier Professional Fitness Trainer Course may be better for you, lasting 16 weeks and 120 contact hours.

Work with a variety of people in many places.

When you have a career in fitness, you’re not sitting in an office, having meetings with the same coworkers every day. From personal trainer to health club owner, there are so many opportunities for working in this field. You can be self-employed, work with a team or even establish your own business and employ a staff. Whether you want to work indoors or out, choose your environment, your schedule and enjoy a healthy work/life balance.

It's one of the fastest growing careers.

Positive vibes and low stress make personal training one of the top rated professions by CNN Money Magazine. And it doesn’t take long for your personal training career to skyrocket. For example, Jason Sweetnam, personal trainer and team weight loss instructor for Life Time Fitness, was 250 pounds and living an unhealthy lifestyle when he decided to begin his fitness journey. He decided to improve his health and is now a working full-time helping others get their fitness and nutrition on track.
Are you looking for a career change that allows you to be passionate about your work? If any of these reasons speak to you, then it might be time to break into the fitness industry.