With these 7 ideas to vary your sports sessions, combine fun and performance to create a tailor-made 2-in-1 programme. Having fun and getting better are perfectly compatible! Which of these tips will make you see sport differently?

Test interval training

Spice up your cardio sessions with short, high-intensity intervals, interspersed with slower recovery periods.
● On the fun side: break the routine and say no to boredom by varying the pace and intensity.
● On the performance side: thanks to the after burn effect, you continue to lose calories even after training, while your body returns to rest. You optimise your physical condition while
losing calories more quickly. At high intensity, the body draws directly from its fat reserves to provide energy.

Try a brand new sporting activity

Take up a new sporting activity: tabata, bootcamp, yoga, or why not dance? Go to iFIT Daily for
ideas!
● On the fun side: regain the enthusiasm of your early days, risk trying something new and
have fun! Varying your training is ideal for maintaining motivation.
● Performance: Far from wasting time, trying out a new sport helps you to get around the
difficulties encountered in your main activity. There’s nothing like cross-training to improve
your performance and build up your entire body.

Using the power of music

Compose various playlists for each of your sports activities, taking into account your heart rate and
your taste in music.
● The fun part: when you train to music, you feel less effort and time passes more quickly. Your
body moves in rhythm without you even noticing.

● On the performance side: improve your coordination and stay regular in your movements.
When performed with accompanying music, certain technical movements that were not
possible before become fluid. You can prolong your training without effort and progress
quicker.

Sign up for an event to have a challenge

Sign up for an event to have a concrete reason to train: plan a trek for your next holiday, sign up for
a bike race or a marathon, anything is possible!
● On the fun side: training with a specific, time-bound goal is very stimulating. You know why
you go to the gym: your goal is within your reach, written on your calendar. Arouse your
competitive spirit and push yourself!
● On the performance side: you put in place a complete training plan with retro-planning.
With this concrete objective in mind you think about new parameters, you optimise your
equipment, you refine your technique and so on.

Find a training partner

Find a training partner who shares your dreams and goals, ideally at the same level as you. They will
help you stay on track and you will support each other.
● On the fun side: sharing your victories and challenging each other is a good way to get into
action. You plan joint sports outings and stimulate each other, at the best of times and at
other times.
● In terms of performance: each person has his or her own strengths, you share your
experiences and correct your postures more easily under the gaze of another. By exchanging
tips, you progress twice as fast! You are also more regular: training with two people requires
a little anticipation. You can’t get out of it.

Change your habits

Reverse your workout routine. Cardio comes before strength training, arms are worked before legs etc. You can also start with what you find least appealing and end with what you enjoy.
● On the fun side: what you took for granted takes on another dimension. You refocus on each movement, because everything is new! Regain the enthusiasm and concentration of your early days.
● On the performance side: by regularly changing your perspective, you can quickly find what
works best for you. You don’t rely on a ready-made recipe, you invent your own.

Fartlek: adding randomness to training

Forget the stopwatch and try fartlek: this Swedish method consists of intuitively varying the pace and intensity of your workout over a given time. You can create your own rules for the game: for example, when you get to the corner of this wall, you sprint. Then you walk as soon as you see a red car…
● On the fun side: fartlek brings a feeling of control and freedom at the same time. You are no longer dominated by a stopwatch and you play with your environment for a more exhilarating training session than ever before.
● On the performance side: you listen to your own body and concentrate on your movements, rather than a timed, pre-written instruction manual. It’s liberating and effective! Fartlek also helps you to have a better perception of space.

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