Spring is in full bloom, but is your commitment to working out starting to wilt?

Even the most dedicated exerciser has periods where energy and motivation flag. Fortunately, you can give your workout new zip with a few easy tweaks.

Following are some ideas for spring cleaning your fitness routine. These tips should help renew your pledge to maintain your body through the weeks and months ahead. They also can improve your results.

Set Goals

Sometimes, working out can make you feel like Sisyphus. Remember him? He was the Greek king condemned by the gods to roll a boulder up a hill each day, only to have the rock come rolling back down to its original starting point.  

Over time, performing the same workout in exactly the same fashion makes you feel the same way – working hard, but not getting anywhere. The best way to avoid this fate? Set some new goals so you feel like you’re moving forward.

A list of short, medium and long-term goals will help keep you both motivated and focused. For example, if you’ve been walking for 30 minutes a day, perhaps set a short-term goal of mixing one or two days of jogging each week. As a medium-term goal, you may want to plan to run on a majority of days no later than a few months from now. Finally, a long-term goal may be to run in a competitive race or a marathon.