MANY regular and long-term exercisers will be familiar with the sentiment of workout fatigue. It is not that the routine being followed is tiring but more that we are simply tired of following it. Fitness professionals recommend varying a gym routine every six weeks and complementing what you do with exercise classes or other outdoor activities. To do neither invites monotony — the reason many say they give up.

There are many varieties of exercise available today and even variations on what has been done for decades. New ways of reinventing traditional formats go on all the time. Step classes are a modern interpretation of running up and down stairs, Pilates was adapted and followed by ballerinas, even personal training is a version of the coach/athlete relationship.

As well as alleviating what many can find tedious about exercise, changing round the physical activity we do actually achieves faster results. Cross training helps to challenge different muscles in the body. Introducing new aspects or moves into your regime means new muscle fibres will have to be recruited to cope each time you work out.

If gym staff, friends or coaches are slow in coming forward with suggestions on how to spice up your routine, there are a number of strategies you can put in place yourself. Watch other exercisers, read one of the many fitness magazines, or look for up-to-date training manuals. A number of websites publish book reviews.

EXERCISES: Squat touchdown (for toning the hips, legs, buttocks and core muscles): Balance on one leg while keeping the rest of your body in a neutral position. Pull in your navel and, in a controlled manner, squat down, bending at the hip, knee and ankle. Keep your supporting knee in line with your foot by making sure you can see your toes at all times. As you bend, reach across your body with the hand opposite to the foot you are standing on. Slowly return to the start position. Complete two sets of ten repetitions on each leg.

Leg curl on Swiss ball (for the buttocks and legs): Lie on the floor with your feet on top of a Swiss ball. Squeeze your abdominal and buttock muscles to lift yourself off the floor. There should be a straight line running from your shoulders to your feet. Bring in the ball with your feet towards your buttocks, then slowly extend back to the start position.Try to complete two sets of 12-20 repetitions.

• Exercises provided by Amelia Watts, of The Tonic, a national network of personal trainers. See www.the-tonic.com or phone 020-8405 1727.

  Talk to your GP before embarking on a new exercise regime and do not undertake any activity if you are injured or feeling unwell

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