I love to run. I love how it makes me feel, I love how many calories it burns, and I love that I can do it anywhere, anytime, for free. But that doesn’t mean running is always a fun workout for me.

I experience the benefits I just listed after I finish running; not necessarily while I’m running. That’s because, let’s be honest, as workouts go, running can be pretty boring. If you don’t have an entertaining running partner or you run on a treadmill at home, like I often do, sometimes the time passes pretty darn slowly. I’ve muscled through many three mile runs that seemed to take hours instead of minutes.

Still, as much as I know I’d enjoy a rowdy Spin Cycle class or a push-it-to-the-limit CrossFit class, mostly, I just want to run and enjoy it. I want running to be fun.

For those times when I get into a running rut, slogging through workouts with low energy and even lower enthusiasm, I know it’s time for me to shake things up. In this way, running is a lot like real estate: Location, location, location is key.

Getting off the treadmill and onto one of the many hiking trails near my house not only energizes me and makes running fun again, it improves the quality of my workouts. I’m forced to run up hills, leap over creeks, dodge wayward tree branches or spiderwebs, and conquer a little piece of the natural world. I’m no longer a middle-aged grown up on a run; I’m a kid exploring a huge outdoor playground! The time goes by in a blink. I feel physically challenged and emotionally renewed.

I have a lot of living left to do, so staying healthy is a priority. But it doesn’t have to be a chore. Breaking from my routine makes exercise fun again.

How do you energize your workouts and stay motivated when you’re in a slump?

Thanks for reading,