Celebrity fitness guru Derek Duke Noble says boredom can defeat all your good intentions to get in shape, especially as we move our workouts indoors as the weather cools. To prevent the monotony that’ll make you want to skip exercising, try these strategies:

Variety is the spice of life:
Motivation to exercise often declines when you find yourself doing the same old workout. When our bodies become used to the same exercise routine you will not achieve optimum gains. To avoid these plateaus change your exercise routine every four to six weeks. For example, instead of walking on a flat surface, walk up a hill; ride a bike instead of running, and change your muscle toning routine around.

Enforce a time restriction:
To ensure an effective and efficient workout, don’t spend too much time exercising. Many in-home training programs can be completed in less than 20 minutes per day, plus there are ones specially designed for couch-potatoes, who can exercise while watching, yes, television.

Music is a motivator:
Cardio machines become boring when you’re watching time go by. To counter the tedium, listen to your favourite songs to keep you moving and eager to go the extra distance. Change the tunes on your iPod every month.

Derek Duke Noble is the author of The Body Noble.