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Variety is the spice of life! If a bland fitness program has you losing your appetite for exercise, it may be time to consider cross-training. Adding diverse activities to your workout regimen can provide a great physical and mental boost. One of the greatest benefits of cross-training is that you vary the stress placed on specific muscles, bones and joints.

Consider that nagging injury that just doesn't seem to heal. Introducing a new exercise activity may be the perfect way to maintain your fitness as you recuperate. It's also the best way to reduce your risk of injury in the future and to achieve all-around fitness.

Participating in the same exercise activity day after day puts you at risk for overuse injuries. By varying your routine, your body will become efficient at performing a wider variety of tasks, leaving all of your muscles stronger. If you are interested in improving your performance in a specific sport or activity, many experts believe cross-training will help, as peak performance in any physical activity usually involves more than one physical attribute.

There are two basic ways to incorporate cross-training into your exercise program. First, you can opt to do completely different activities -- switching from dance exercise to swimming to in-line skating to weight training -- on alternate days or within the same workout. Or, you can add a new component to your existing program, such as alternating between traditional dance exercise classes and classes using weights, steps and/or resistance tubes and balls. No matter what activity you choose to do, always begin your workout with a five to 10-minute warm up and finish with stretches and a cool down.

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