--- title: 6 Exercise Tweaks That Make a Big Difference description: For the best workout, give your body the variety it needs with these small, simple tweaks that will revolutionize your exercise regime. canonical: https://time.com/3746273/6-exercise-tweaks/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-18T14:00:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:40:56.557Z article:section: Health og:title: 6 Exercise Tweaks That Make a Big Difference og:description: For an optimum workout, give your body the variety it needs og:url: https://time.com/3746273/6-exercise-tweaks/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt851488d5c524ab81/698783b5cd1bba57d26f5b1f/155770622-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=492&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 492 og:image:height: 277 og:image:alt: woman-doing-push-ups og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 6 Exercise Tweaks That Make a Big Difference twitter:description: For an optimum workout, give your body the variety it needs twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt851488d5c524ab81/698783b5cd1bba57d26f5b1f/155770622-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=492&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 6 Exercise Tweaks That Make a Big Difference > Sponsored content. 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TIME's Belinda Luscombe spends a week on the Steelcase Walkstation: a treadmill-desk combo that lets you exercise and work simultaneously_ by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Contributor Mar 18, 2015 2:00 PM UTC  Caucasian woman doing push-ups Caucasian woman doing push-ups Getty Images by [Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/) ## Health.com Contributor Mar 18, 2015 2:00 PM UTC We always hear that it’s necessary to keep “switching it up” when it comes to our workouts. While it’s true that constantly sending a shock to the body is essential in terms of becoming stronger and seeing results, these shocks don’t have to come in the form of changing your workout completely. Making tiny tweaks to the same exercises you’re used to doing can create needed variety in your body without forcing you to give up the moves you already know and love. Here are 6 tiny tweaks you can try adding in to your workout routine to achieve lasting results. **Challenge your balance** Adding an unstable surface to your move of choice is one of the most challenging variations you can do to an exercise. Plus, it recruits all those smaller muscles in addition to the larger ones so your body is working double time. **The exercise: BOSU burpee** Squat down and place your hands on the edges of a [BOSU balance trainer](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20432219%5F7,00.html) and jump your feet back so that you land in a pushup position. Lower your chest to the ground, press back up to complete a push-up, and then jump your feet back toward your hands. Pick up the BOSU and press it overhead as you explosively jump up in the air, then squat back down and place it on the ground. That’s one rep. Try to do 3 sets of 15 reps. **Read more:** [3 Ways to Do a Burpee](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20902019,00.html?xid=time-exercise-tweaks-vid-031615) **Change the position** When it seems like standard [body weight exercises](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20816570,00.html) just aren’t cutting it anymore or you want to send a shock to the system, try changing the position of an exercise. Change your hand position or place your body on an incline or decline. Performing the same move in a different way can make it feel brand new again. **The exercise: Decline push-up** Find an elevated surface, like a park bench or [plyometric box](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20432219%5F5,00.html) and place your feet on top. Kneel down and get into a plank position with your hands on the ground directly underneath your wrists and your feet elevated above your heart. Start to bend your elbows wide until your collarbone almost touch the ground, and then straighten your arms. Do 15 reps. **Read more:** [How to Do the Perfect Push-Up](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20809402,00.html?xid=time-exercise-tweaks-vid-031615) ### See the 10 Healthiest Cities to Live in America  Honolulu, Hawaii Best Place for Lifelong Health The heavenly climate helps, but the key to well-being here also includes enviable health care and a rich cultural tradition of looking out for one another. Colin Anderson—Blend Images/Corbis  San Francisco Bay Area, Calif. Best Place for Eating Right. The "farm to table" movement began here. The region's bounty of produce and year-round growing season make eating healthy—and local—a natural. Getty Images  Burlington, Vt. Best Place for Raising Healthy Kids This New England city offers great schools, excellent pediatric care, loads of culture and limitless options for healthy outdoor fun all year long. Matt Hogan/www.mphoganphoto.com  Silicon Valley, Calif. Best Place for Workplace Wellness With treadmill desks, meetings on bikes, time off for creativity, and gobs of organic food, tech titans are reinventing how to stay healthy on the job. Jim Wilson—The New York Times/Redux  Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Best Place for Aging Well Yes, it can be cold. But with a plethora of stimulating activities and a robust web of support, the Twin Cities prove that growing old doesn't mean slowing down. Getty Images  Denver and Boulder, Colo. Best Place for Keeping Fit The urge to get outside and get moving is contagious in these Rocky Mountain cities, where physical challenge is built into the landscape. Celin Serbo—Aurora Photos/Corbis  Plano, Texas Best Place for Staying Safe Once a rural outpost, this booming, diverse city has kept its small-town vibe, thanks in part to a police force and community that knows how to work together. Misty Keasler—Redux for TIME  Portland, Ore. Best Place for a Healthy Environment Small, walkable neighborhoods, 300 miles of bike paths, and urban policies that foster active living and sustainability make for one clean, green city. Getty Images  Boston, Mass. Best Place for Health Care This history-rich city is home to some of the nation's most advanced medical institutions and policies that help ensure that quality care is available to all. K.C. Cohen—Courtesy of Boston Children's Hospital  Provo and Orem, Utah Best Place for Spiritual Well-Being A stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop and a tight-knit population that lives its faith contribute not only to this region's serenity but also to lower rates of disease. Getty Images **Try one side at a time** The great thing about body weight exercises is that they’re easy to tweak and adjust in so many ways to make them harder. In this case, [removing a leg](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20813896%5F14,00.html) or arm from the exercise is a surefire way to activate muscles in a new and fun way. **The exercise: Single-leg pelvic lift (shown** [**here**](http://news.health.com/2014/12/12/a-20-minute-hot-for-the-holidays-workout/) **on a BOSU trainer)** Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place arms at your sides, palms face down. Extend one leg up toward the ceiling with foot flexed. Engage your glutes and lift the hips up as high as you can while keeping the upper back on the floor. Hold for 2 counts and then lower hips down. Complete 10 times, then switch legs and repeat. **Read more:** [Butt-Lifting Move: Hip Bridge](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20901962,00.html?xid=time-exercise-tweaks-vid-031615) **Add a pulse** [Adding a pulse](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20886098,00.html) at the end of an exercise is the best way to activate the fast-twitch muscle fibers of the body. If you hadn’t already been feeling the burn, you’ll be feeling it now. **The exercise: Walking lunge with pulse** Step your left leg forward and lower your body into a lunge until both knees are bent at 90 degrees. Slowly pulse up and down by about an inch 10 times. Then, push through your left heel to return to standing; that’s one rep. Repeat with the right leg, and then do 3 more sets of 10 pulses on each leg. **Read more:** [Triceps Extension + Rhomboid Pulse](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20886088,00.html?xid=time-exercise-tweaks-vid-031615) **Hold the position** Most people are so quick to rush through each exercise because they want to get it over with or they’re trying to hit a certain amount of repetitions before they tire out. But instead of focusing on reps, how about focusing on length of time held in a position? One of the main benefits of [isometric training](http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/working-at-a-stand-still-how-to-do-isometric-training) is that the body is able to activate nearly all the available motor units—something that’s usually very difficult to do. This simple tweak can seem easy but become really challenging in a matter of seconds. **The exercise: Squat hold (or wall sit)** Although [isometric moves](http://news.health.com/2014/12/03/5-moves-to-work-your-abs-from-all-angles/) can be done with equipment as well, here we are using body weight. The squat hold can be done as a wall sit or as a free-standing [squat](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20828690,00.html) and hold. Place your feet hip-width apart. Sink down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, knees directly over your ankles. Make sure to sit back on your heels when you squat and don’t sink below 90 degrees with this move as this actually makes it easier. When your muscles start to burn or shake, try to hold for another minute (or as long as you can) before coming up. **Read more:** [18 Moves to Tone Your Butt, Thighs, and Legs](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20725746,00.html?xid=time-exercise-tweaks-vid-031615) **Add a weight** It should come as no surprise that adding weight can make any exercise more difficult. But even a small 2- to 5-pound dumbbell can make a big difference when you’re switching it up from the norm. **The exercise:** [**Side plank**](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20813896%5F20,00.html) **with weight** Lie on your right side with your forearm directly under your shoulder, hand perpendicular to your body, and legs stacked. Engage your abs and the right side of your waist, lifting your hips so your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Grab a small weight with your left hand and extend your arm toward the sky, staying engaged through your core. Then scoop your left arm under your torso, twisting only from the waist up. Come back up; repeat 8 times, then lower body to the ground. Repeat on the opposite side. **Read more:** [20 Ways to Do a Plank](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20813896,00.html?xid=time-exercise-tweaks-vid-031615) **For more workout ideas, check out** [**5 Fitness Trends That Are Having A Moment**](http://news.health.com/2015/03/05/5-fitness-trends-that-are-having-a-moment/)**.** [_This article originally appeared on Health.com._](http://news.health.com/2015/03/12/6-exercise-tweaks-that-make-a-big-difference/) _Read next:_ [_4 Apps That Can Help You Relax, Focus and Sweat_](http://time.com/3740900/4-apps-relax-focus-sweat/?iid=time%5Freadnext) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3746273/6-exercise-tweaks/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3746273/6-exercise-tweaks/"},"headline":"6 Exercise Tweaks That Make a Big Difference","datePublished":"2015-03-18T14:00:20.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:40:56.557Z","description":"For an optimum workout, give your body the variety it needs","url":"https://time.com/3746273/6-exercise-tweaks/","keywords":["Exercise & Fitness","Exercise","Workout"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt851488d5c524ab81/698783b5cd1bba57d26f5b1f/155770622-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Health.com","jobTitle":"Contributor","url":"https://time.com/author/health-com/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt851488d5c524ab81/698783b5cd1bba57d26f5b1f/155770622-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"woman-doing-push-ups","caption":"woman-doing-push-ups","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/exercisefitness/","name":"Exercise & Fitness"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3746273/6-exercise-tweaks/","name":"6 Exercise Tweaks That Make a Big Difference"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Walking While Working","description":"TIME's Belinda Luscombe spends a week on the Steelcase Walkstation: a treadmill-desk combo that lets you exercise and work simultaneously","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/pPPKxsmt/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2008-11-26T22:23:15.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pPPKxsmt.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3746273/6-exercise-tweaks/","duration":"PT3M26S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3746273/6-exercise-tweaks/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```