Our bodies are incredible, intricate, intelligent machines that can do all sorts of amazing things. The human body can heal wounds by creating more cells to close up exposed areas, it can send signals to the control room (the brain) to let us know when something is wrong and your brain is one massive storage file that can hold a lifetime of memories. Pretty cool, right?

While our bodies may have many incredible abilities, they can also out-smart the best of us at times. Throwback to those tumultuous teenage years when we all thought that eating next to nothing would result in rapid weight loss. Boy, were we wrong. The body instead clung on to more fat to protect itself and burnt muscle instead. Not quite the result we had intended to achieve!

Another way our bodies are cunningly outsmarting us is by adapting to our workout routines. Love your regular three times a week Reformer Pilates sessions with Rodrigo? Then you need to switch it up big time as your body is becoming more and more efficient with its energy. Studies show that after as little as 3 weeks doing the same workout routine, your body can memorise the patterns of your workout and conserve fat and burn fewer calories. This is when plateau happens and when results become more difficult to achieve.

One way to solve this issue is to frequently change up your workout schedule. Switch up studios, methods and even days of the week you train and your body will be unable to establish a pattern and adapt. Variety is the spice of life AND your wellbeing so with the help of MINDBODY, the leading, global app that connects you to the best fitness, beauty and wellness hubs wherever you are in the world, we’ve highlighted the best workouts that complement each other for maximum results and minimal boredom.

Spinning + Yoga
We all have one friend that’s borderline obsessed with spinning! If you love nothing more than an intense spin session then you should definitely consider adding in yoga to your workout schedule. Spinning can cause tightness in the hips and groin area and can cause upper back stiffness from being hunched over handlebars so by incorporating yoga into your workout vocab, you’ll be releasing and lengthening those tight areas of your body.

Crossfit + Pilates
Crossfit is known for its strength-building techniques, so to compliment the short, but intense bursts of movements, look to pilates. Pilates is all about creating a long, sculpted physique and defining those intrinsic muscles you never knew existed through body-weight endurance movements. They are a perfect pair and will keep your body on its toes!

Running + Weight Training + Sports Massage
Running is a great way to keep fit. It’s free, it’s good for your cardiovascular health and you can do it anywhere in the world! Pavement pounders would definitely be wise to introduce weight training and sports massage to balance out the cardio and impact-heavy aspect of your fitness regime. Both sports massage and weight training are great for preventing injury with the latter helping you build muscle and stability throughout your body.

Swimming + Physical Therapy
Speaking of injuries, there’s nothing more torturous to a fitness lover than having an injury. For many people, fitness not only provides physical benefits but mental ones too and when a strained muscle stops them from exercising, it can be really tough. The combined support of swimming and physical therapy is perfect for those who want to remain proactive with their rehabilitation. Seeing a good physiotherapist can help speed up your recovery and, injury permitting, will often suggest swimming as an alternative (but still challenging) way to keep your body moving due to it’s non-weight bearing characteristic.

Boxing + Barre
Boxing has definitely risen in popularity over the last few years and it’s not difficult to understand why. It’s challenging, fun, energetic and provides a seriously sweat-inducing workout! Being very arm, core and cardio focused, budding boxers out there should definitely consider taking up barre classes, which are predominantly leg-heavy. Barre couldn’t be further from boxing but that’s exactly why the pair go so well together. Boxing requires you to be quick on your toes, agile, and explosive, while barre is controlled and demands great muscular endurance. Hello, muscle shaking!

For more information on the MINDBODY app, click here.

words by Molly Jennings