Bored of your exercise routine? There are plenty of ways to mix it up in the Cape Girardeau area

Establishing and sticking to the same exercise routine might seem like a great idea, but the truth is, if you don't switch up your program, you could be undermining your workout.

"Our bodies are adaptive to our lifestyle," says Charles Williams, owner of Muddy Water CrossFit in Cape Girardeau.

What that boils down to is that when a person becomes conditioned to the same exercise -- let's say running five miles -- at some point the body gets used to that level of exercise, and is not taxed.

"We try to keep it constantly varied," he says.

CrossFit training involves three circuits during each workout -- cardio, body movement and weight lifting -- and every session is different.

A cardio drumming class meets Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at the Osage Centre.Fred Lynch

Each circuit differs in intensity and length, and any age person can do it, because all exercises are tailored to the individual.

Williams, who opened the place in 2012, says a fringe benefit of joining Muddy Water CrossFit is that participants tend to form a bond.

"You become part of a big family," he says. "And if you don't show up, you're likely to get a call from someone who works out with you."

Exercise doesn't have to be intense to be effective.

Walking just 10 minutes can help people reap rewards, but to keep it challenging, Christine Paige recommends adding a minute to that every time you go.

A cardio drumming class meets Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at the Osage Centre.Fred Lynch

"Or, if you start off with 20 minutes, add five minutes each time," says Paige, who is the fitness and wellness coordinator for the City of Cape Girardeau. "Constantly try to challenge yourself."

Dr. Jeremy Barnes, professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at Southeast Missouri University, says there's another good reason for people to change up their exercise programs.

"People get bored if they do the same thing over and over," he says.

Paige agrees.

"I think it's very important," she says. "You get bored and your body gets used to it."

From climbing a rock wall to swimming and square dancing, there are many options when it comes to choosing a workout that will keep things interesting, while also helping with health and fitness.

"Anything you do to increase your heart rate for a sustained period of time is beneficial," Barnes says.

He points out that people who switch up their exercise routines are less likely to have overuse injuries.

"Runners who run five to seven miles a day have the same injuries," he says.

There's also the practical side of variety in exercise.

"People just like to try new things," Barnes says.

Some people enjoy yoga, and those classes vary, too.

Barnes says he has a colleague who recently tried yoga on a paddleboard, and reported it was one of the most intense workouts he's ever done.

Adding the challenge of balancing on the board to a yoga routine requires the use of a whole different set of muscles.

Balance is something, like flexibility, that people tend to lose as they age.

The City of Cape Girardeau offers many different fitness classes at the Osage Centre, and some classes that are off-site, like a shallow-water workout, "Walk the Lazy River," held at Cape Splash.

Participants in the class can choose to walk with the current of the water or against it, which offers the resistance of water flowing in the opposite direction, Paige explains.

Another class, one that's relatively new, is a cardio drumming class, in which people use balance balls with drum sticks to pound out the rhythm of music that plays during the session.

One of the newest classes, a golf fitness class, focuses on the physical aspect of golfing, like balance and stretching, which gives golfers the ability to bring the golf club farther behind them before swinging.

The classes are not golf lessons.

"We don't work on form, but on the fitness side," Paige says.

Drop-in classes at the Osage Centre are $3.50, and purchasing a punch card -- $36 for 12 sessions -- offers savings. Buying the 24-class card for $60 brings the cost down to $2.50 for each class. The first class is free.

The most important thing is to get moving, and keep moving.

"The bottom line is the best form of exercise is the kind you will do on a regular basis," Barnes says. "I'm a big believer in activities you can do during the course of a lifetime."