When you first started an exercise program a few months ago, fast walking was fine and dandy. But now it’s either no longer producing the desired results or it’s gotten just plain boring.

It sounds like the time has come to rev up the old routine and rediscover what made physical activity fun in the first place. In some cases, a change of pace from the same old thing is all it takes. If you’ve attended the same aerobics class three times a week for six months, try something new.

“I tell people that they need to go to other classes because they need variety,” says Anderson (S.C.) Area YMCA aerobics instructor Bill Forrest. “We’re all creatures of habit. It’s hard enough to get out and exercise, and now that I’m comfortable with a class and know all the steps, I don’t want to change. But you need to get a variety. That’s what I do as an instructor. I go to other classes and pick up other routines and techniques.”

Tony Leviton, owner of Palmetto Fitness in Anderson with 25 years of experience in physical fitness, says circuit training allows you to do a cardiovascular workout while building muscle simultaneously.

“You can do circuit training at home: Ride the bike for five minutes, then do weight training for five minutes, then go back to the bike or treadmill for five minutes. You could also just walk around the house or climb the stairs to get your heart rate up,” Leviton says.

There are three basic denominators in fitness, Leviton says: Frequency, intensity and time.

If you’re doing a workout every day or every other and not getting results, look at the intensity at which you’re working. Perhaps you need to push yourself a little bit harder to get your heart rate up.

Also, look at the length of time you’re working out and consider what time of day you choose to train. “I find that 90 percent of people have better results in an early morning workout,” Leviton says.

“I try to take all variables (frequency, intensity and time) and tell people to swap them around. If you’re working out every day, you’re probably tired. Go to a schedule of alternating days,” he says. “If your intensity level is low, make the length of time longer.”

Cross-training is the key when a person hits a plateau in any kind of exercise program, according to Debbie Bowyer, a group fitness instructor at the Anderson Area YMCA.

If you enjoy long-distance running and seem to hit a plateau, incorporate short bursts of intervals into the normal routine, Bowyer says. Jog for a while, then sprint for 30 seconds and go back to an easy jog. This will work to kick up your metabolism, resulting in more fat burned continuously throughout the day.