In the January 2010 issue of our e-newsletter, the Healthy Habituator*, I listed the top 10 tips to improve your fitness in 2010. Now that we are mid-way through the year (and how did that happen so quickly??), I want to look at these tips again, as a reminder and a check-in to see how we are doing. The tips are:

1. Vary the Variables – Changing up (challenging) your routine, whether it is eating, exercising, spiritual, mental, or financial, is key to keeping things fresh, making progress, and reaching your goals.

2. Plan the Work and Work the Plan – If you don’t know where you are going, you won’t be able to get there! Figure out what you need to do, how you’re going to do it, and when. You have to make it work for you. Success is in the details – and be sure to plan for changes in the work (see #1).

3. Go Old School – Push ups, chin ups, and jumping rope were hard when you were younger, and they still are! Body weight training is challenging, but it is also productive, worthwhile and fun!

4. Suspend Your Disbelief – Suspension training is hot in the fitness world. Try out the TRX or other such systems. Don’t be intimidated that the Navy Seals use them – they can be customized for all fitness levels.

5. Curb the Carbs – We all like simple carbs but they are a very unhealthy habit and need to be reduced whenever possible. You get much of the pleasure and more nutritional benefit from whole grains and complex carbs.

6. Try Tubing – Not just tubing, but also cable systems. They engage your core on every move so you burn more calories and improve your functional capacity. Perfect for chopping exercises.

7. Bolster Your Balance – Dyna Discs, wobble boards, foam rollers, stability balls, Bosus and other balance tools provide a great challenge for your body in different ways. Add them to make your workout exciting and productive.

8. Lose Some Liquids – About 20% of the average person’s daily calories come from liquids, but they are overlooked as a place where you can cut back and help yourself lose weight. Don’t forget to include them when looking at your daily calorie consumption.

9. Change Up Your Cardio – Make your body adapt! Change the exercise you do, the intensity you work at, the time you spend at it, the equipment you use. Get out of your comfort zone – and see how your body responds.

10. Combine Moves – Adding weight is not the only way to increase the challenge. What about combining a squat with a shoulder press? Lunge with cable high row? Crunch with chest press? Be creative! And talk to your trainer for ideas and to make sure you are doing them right.

So where are you in 2010? Have you added in some of these already? Let us know what you’ve done and how it has helped. Need a boost for the rest of the year? See how many of these you can incorporate in your workout.

*Healthy Habituator is emailed the middle of each month. Want to get “All The Fit News To Email”? Sign up is on the left side of the page.