I don't know about you, but I tend to find one good running route wherever I live and stick with it. I might have variations on it -- right now I have a four-miler that can easily be made into a six- or a two-miler with little modification -- but if I'm happy with my route, I don't usually go out of my way to find something new.

And that, my friends, is boring. There are a million things to see here! There are wooded areas and the University of Florida and all kinds of gorgeous and interesting neighborhoods, but do I make an effort to run through them? No! And why not? Because I don't know a specific route, so I don't know how far I'll have to run, and I'm a dork who likes to know these things ahead of time.

Now I have no excuse. With Run.com I can plug in my city and find a bunch of cool new running routes, all with mileage listed and a description. In Gainesville, there are 16 routes listed (and I might just have to list my boring old route, too).

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Frustrated because it seems like no matter how hard you try to eat right and exercise the needle on the scale just won't budge? Or maybe you were making progress until suddenly it stopped, and now you don't know why or how to get it moving again?

Ugh, that's the pits. The good news is that it could be a simple situation of you inadvertently sabotaging yourself. Do you ever grocery shop when you're hungry? Take a lot of "taste tests" when cooking? You might be surprised at some of the ways calories and pounds can sneak into your life -- right past you and your diet plan.

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Boredom can be a big enemy in all kinds of ways, and sometimes jumpstarting your fitness life is as simple as trying something new. Just because you loved something a few years ago, or a few months ago, doesn't mean you still love doing it today. When is that last time you tried something you've never tried before? And we're talking something physical for exercise here, not a new item on your favorite restaurant's menu or a new fashion statement (although trying things in those areas is a good thing too!).

Here are some ideas for 'breaking out of the box' and getting yourself interested and excited in something new:

Get out on the water
Paddling and rowing are great exercise, which make canoeing and kayaking awesome for you upper body as well as healthy for your spirit. Water is a known relaxer and many people find the experience great for getting rid of stress. For beginners make sure to either get professional lessons or go out with a friend who's experienced the first few times.

Head out to hit a few balls
Golfing is one of America's favorite outdoor past-times and it can be done 3 out of the 4 seasons. Golfing can help improve your concentration, flexibility, coordination, trunk stability, and finesse (we could all use more of that!). Plus if you skip the cart and walk the course instead you can get a great cardio workout too. Get started by taking group lessons at a local course and heading to the driving range to hit a few balls until you feel comfortable.

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What are your fitness roadblocks? We all have them, and learning how to blow right past them is a big part of success in a health and fitness plan. Consistency is key, right? We've all heard that countless times, but it's nearly impossible to be consistent when there are so many obstacles that get in way -- most of which are completely out of our own control. Things like bad weather (that's my biggest one lately), work running late, kids staying home from school sick, etc. etc. Think back over the last couple weeks or the last month: how many workouts did you miss? What were the reasons?

Well now there's no more excuses! Because once you know what the problem is you can form a plan of attack. Need some help with that part? Don't we all! Here are some tips from eDiets on ideas for blowing past your specific roadblocks to get to a healthier, happier you:

• Time: Always running out of time? Try scheduling your calendar weeks or a month ahead of time and block out your exercise time right away. Cook on Sunday night for the rest of the week (this is a challenge to learn but so well worth it!) so you can hit the gym after work and dinner won't suffer, talk to your boss about your plan and ask for a flexible schedule (longer lunch, in later, leave earlier), and set an alarm for when it's time to exercise!
• Always be ready: You never know when an opportunity might strike, so be ready at all times by keeping your shoes in your car and a change of clothes in the trunk. Maybe you got waylaid by rainy weather yesterday but if it's sunny over your lunch hour today...

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There are a million and one ways to kink up a perfectly good exercise plan, most of which somehow involve you losing your motivation to workout and/or stick to a healthy eating plan. The worst kinks, however, are when a plateau hits right in the middle of all your hard work. When right at your most motivated all of your weight loss progress stops for some unknown reason and your work seems to suddenly have no effect, no matter what you do.

It's called a plateau and it happens to everybody! There are usually a couple of reasons why, 1) being that your body has become used to the workouts you're doing and it's time to switch things up, or 2) you're actually working too hard and your body is tired and needs more rest between workouts. Breaking through a plateau takes effort and planning but shouldn't be an impossible thing to do. Follow these simple steps to kick it back into gear and start seeing results again from your efforts:

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It's all to easy to get stuck in a rut or hit a plateau, and let all your 'exercising charisma' fly right out the window. And then of course disappointment and frustration settle in its place, and pretty soon the weight and flab start climbing back on until everything you already gained, however small it seemed, is gone.

As important as it is to make exercise and fitness a part of your regular "routine," it's equally important to recognize when that same routine is turning sour for you and doing you more harm than good. Adding some spontaneous improvisation (safely) to your workouts can give them some "spice" and rejuvenate the whole experience. And it works for pretty much anything -- even structured methods like Yoga and Pilates have room for your own personal flair!

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Ugh, the dreaded setback. A lot of things can fall into the category of "setback," like an injury that makes it harder to work out, or a holiday season that makes it harder to eat healthy. The important thing is to remember that everybody experiences hardships on the way to their goals, but how you deal with them is what's really important. Looking at them as challenges, and chances to grow, will help you push yourself past it.

So you're determined to beat the odds and come out on top, but feel like you could use some help to get there? Try these tips:

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Contrary to popular belief, in many ways, being "stuck in a rut" can be healthy for you. Whether it's a simple habit like getting up early so you can relax with your coffee, or more complicated like a series of things you do in particular order before starting or ending your day, routines and rituals have been clinically shown to reduce stress and promote over-all feelings of well-being. Basic, comfortable "ruts" provide a sense of stability and calmness in an otherwise unpredictable and stressful world. As with everything though, it is possible to overdo it. When rituals become excessive, such as in obsessive compulsive disorder, they start doing you more harm than good.

So go ahead and indulge those quirky little routines that you love so much! And next time somebody accuses you of being in a rut, you can smile to yourself and say "yes I am."

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It's an unfortunate truth that the more weight you lose the harder your body works to hold onto the remaining pounds, but sometimes reviving a stalled fitness plan is as simple as giving your metabolism a jumpstart. Here a few tips from Readers Digest on how to burn more calories and boost your metabolism:

• Drink green tea. They suggest 3 servings a day to reap the benefits of not only the caffeine, but also the polyphenols that some studies show increase metabolism.
• Use interval training to get more calorie bang for your buck. You'll burn more calories in the same time by varying the intensity of your workout, i.e. jogging for short spurts when you normally only walk.
• Fidget. I don't know if I buy this one, but the article says that if you drum your fingers or bounce your knees you can burn up to 500 calories a day. If it's true that's awesome!
• Remember not to cut calories too severely. A high metabolism can't survive in starvation mode.
• Drink enough water. Put rubber bands on your wrist every morning to remind and track how many glasses of water you have left to drink that day.
• Don't let yo-yo dieting discourage you. Good news! Your metabolism is not permanently affected by bad dieting habits in the past.
• Eat small meals several times throughout the day. This one goes along with making sure you don't cut calories too severely: you have to feed a fast metabolism.
• Go off-roading when you walk. It takes more energy, and therefore more calories, to walk over uneven surfaces like dirt trails than it does over a flat smooth sidewalk or paved surface. Walking on sand or through shallow water (the shoreline of a beach) also adds extra resistance and calorie-burning.

Some of the other tips in the article include bumping up your protein intake, exercising outdoors, and including more hot peppers in your diet. Obviously, not all of these ideas will work for everyone (I can't stand very spicy food at all, so no hot peppers for me!). And although they vary from 'good sound advice we've all heard before' to 'somewhat obscure ideas that may or may not work,' it's definitely a list that will get you thinking about how to get your body moving, your metabolism rising, and those calories burning!

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If you're looking for a fast and efficient way to get in shape that needs little space and equipment, then consider indulging your inner child by taking up jump roping.

Even though it's most commonly thought of as a kid's activity, jump roping has long been used in training by boxers. And in recent years it has been gaining popularity for training in all kinds of other sports, including basketball and tennis, because of its awesome total-body benefits. Jumping rope for only 15 minutes will burn around 200 calories, and it will strength your heart, muscles and bones. Jumping rope also promotes agility and balance, and improves coordination, rhythm, and timing. A nice list of "features" for an exercise to have! And jumping rope doesn't necessarily deserve it's negative reputation as being hard on the knees and hips -- it's actually easier on your body than running (due to the fact that you land on the balls of your feet and can better absorb the impact).

Getting started jump roping is definitely inexpensive -- all you need is a good pair of cross trainers and a rope. When shopping for a jump rope there is no right or wrong: plain rope or beaded, thick or thin -- it's really just a matter of personal taste as far as weight of the rope and the sound it makes as you use it. If you're really cheap you can even pull down a piece of clothesline from the backyard! But whatever kind of rope you choose, one important thing to get right is the length: when you step in the middle of the rope and hold up both ends they should just reach your armpits/chest area.

As far as form goes, make sure you warm-up and stretch first. Then make sure you stand up straight while jumping with your head held high, keeping your shoulders relaxed and your elbows to your sides. Jump low and avoid hard surfaces like concrete to minimize the impact on your joints, and like any physical activity you should consult your doctor before getting started.

Jump roping is not for everyone, but it definitely deserves a look to see if it's for you. It's so easy and burns calories so quickly it might be just the thing to help you liven up your routine if you're bored, or help break through a nasty fitness plateau.

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I think any change of seasons has the potential to throw a kink into your fitness or weight-loss plan, but winter seems to be the worst. What was working in warm weather, be it certain foods you like in the summer or outdoor exercise, may not work in the winter when the weather gets colder. If you're finding yourself in a stale situation, here are 10 tips for avoiding -- or curing -- the winter workout blues:

• Take a vacation to somewhere warm and sunny. I've heard this idea before, and I'm sure it works -- if you're lucky enough to have the time and the money.
• Get a workout buddy. Even if it's cold and gross out, if somebody is waiting for you you're obviously less likely to skip your workout and go home to snack.
• Hire a personal trainer. Just to get you through the winter hump. If it's not really in your budget, consider signing up for joint sessions with a workout buddy and splitting the cost.
• Join a club. Find one that interests you, running for example, and use the built-in support system and new people you'll meet as inspiration.
• Be realistic. Don't beat yourself up over a plateau in your weight-loss goals or fitness plan. Maybe focusing on maintenance for a couple weeks is a good thing, and will give you renewed energy to jump back into it later.
• Scale back. Allow yourself some room to cut back a little. It's better than risking total burn-out and quitting completely.
• Get some new home gear. New stuff equals new inspiration!
• Workout in the morning. Start the day positive and energized, and with your workout already out of the way!
• 10 minute workouts. Short and sweet, ten minute mini-workouts can help get you through a motivation slump.
• Join an online community, such as eDiets.com. The available resources and new ideas might be just what you need to keep going strong.

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