For the majority of people who exercise, at some point you hit a point where your workout can become boring. It can feel monotonous doing a lot of the same exercises over and over again on the same machines. This kind of a frustration can sometimes lead to people not going to the gym as much as they normally should. But by adding an element of fun and a little bit of variety in the form of gym sports to your routine, you can avoid that.

I define a ‘gym sport’ as a sport oriented activity that I can add to my workout at the gym. Not all gyms will have the facilities for all of these activities, so it is always a good idea to do a bit of research before joining your gym. Luckily, my gym has most of the facilities I need to play some of my favorite fitness sports. But for those that they don’t have, like a tennis court, I looked around a bit and found free courts located across the street from the high school in my town. They are free at all times as long as the high school’s team isn’t practicing.

Of all the many sports you can add to your routine, my favorite so far has been basketball. The amount of running you do around the court is a tremendous aerobic exercise. Your legs are worked from jumping and your arms are exercised from dribbling in passing. The past few weeks, I’ve been taking the time I would’ve spent on the elliptical machine and spend it on the court instead playing with a few members of my gym who play as well.

It may not seem it, but racquetball is a great aerobic exercise. Throughout the entire match you’re never standing still because you’re running all over the court chasing the racquetball. It is incredibly energetic, fast-paced and fun! In the colder months of the year, it is a fantastic alternative to tennis.

Having never been a fan of class-based workouts, I never gave my gym’s kickboxing class a try until I was so bored one day on the treadmill and saw that the class was about to start and they had some room for a few more. I figured why not? I was on the verge of wanting to head home early and probably would have if I had stayed on the treadmill, but I decided to give the class a shot. I am so glad I did because it is now a part of my weekly gym routine. Depending on your gym’s facilities, your class may have bags for punching and kicking or you may just be hitting the air. Either one is fine. My gym doesn’t have bags, but I still get a great rush from attacking the air.

Tennis courts are hard to come by at most gyms, but some larger ones may have a few indoor courts to play on. Like I mentioned earlier, I found courts near my town’s high school that I use from time to time. If it is a beautiful day and I don’t feel like being cooped up in a gym or racquetball court, tennis is a great option for a gym sport. Even by myself, I can hit balls off of a wall for a nice little workout. You really feel it in your arms and shoulders then next day, that’s for sure!

Try adding one or all of these exercises into your workout schedule next week and see the difference that you feel. Don’t wait till you are bored, preemptively add these sports to have fun during your workout. Later on, when you want to add more fitness elements your life, you might need to buckle down and get some cheap home fitness equipment. Have fun, be safe and good luck!

To learn more info, go to William Douglas’ site Gym Sports Workout. Find out about combining fun to your workout or wearing weight vests to see more results.. This article, Workouts are More Fun With Gym Sports has free reprint rights.