Bored with the same old treadmill?

Sticking with an exercise routine is not always easy, and it may feel especially hard to get back on track after the holidays. But sometimes, experts say, all it takes is a little change of pace.

"You do get bored," said Audrey Edwards, group fitness director for the Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center in Newton. "Everybody needs motivation to exercise."

As Bostonians hammer out their New Year's fitness resolutions, several area gyms are offering programs intended to do just that. Many are building on the popularity of yoga, and developing new classes based on principles of strength, flexibility, and mental focus. Some gyms are seeing a renewed interest in personal training and nutrition. Others are offering more unusual classes, such as the Action Hero Workout at the Boston Sports Clubs, which teaches participants Hollywood stunt techniques.

Like many gyms, The Sports Club/LA in Boston has seen particular interest in so-called "mind-body" classes such as yoga and Pilates, and recently opened a 9,000-square-foot addition to expand those programs. Five years ago, the Sports Club offered only about 12 mind-body classes a week, said group exercise manager Marc McDonald. Today that number is up to 60. The new space also features smaller studios for private yoga classes. Following a private session on a recent afternoon, Lynne Murphy and Anish Shah said they believe yoga has many benefits.

"In my opinion, it is physical and mental therapy," Murphy said. "It's a workout where you walk out and you're not tired, you're energized."

The Sports Club/LA also offers more up-tempo programs involving dance, as well as Budokon, a work out popularized by celebrities that combines yoga and martial arts.

"It's new, it piques people's interest," said Debra Regan, the club's vice president of fitness. Overall, she said, the club tries to offer a well-rounded approach to wellness by assisting members with nutrition and physical therapy. The Leventhal-Sidman center also has emphasized more mind-body programs, Edwards said.

This month, the center will begin offering several new fitness classes, including Spilates, which combines Pilates with the stationary bike exercise known as Spinning. The center already offers fusion classes such as the popular Yogalates, a combination of yoga and Pilates. Classes that focus on stretching and balance have become popular, Edwards says, because they appeal to all age groups, and are a good addition to a regular workout.

"We're getting older," she said. "This is just a nice thing to throw in."

But more traditional high-impact workouts do have their place as well. At the Boston Sports Clubs, programs that focus on circuit training and cardiovascular conditioning continue to be popular, said Dan Scontras, group exercise coordinator for the club's Copley and Newbury locations. The club's Action Hero Workout, which it began offering in November, allows members to swing on ropes and move through tunnels.

"It's like being a kid again," said Scontras, who believes members appreciate exercise that doesn't feel like work. "They don't want to spend an hour thinking about how hard they're working."

The Copley club, which was recently redone, also has a new mind-body studio. The studio has attracted both yoga enthusiasts, and those who want to try it out as a supplement to their regular routines, Scontras said.

At Mike's Fitness in Jamaica Plain, owner Omar Argote said many members have been working with personal trainers on basic exercises such as sit-ups and push-ups. The gym also has begun offering yoga, and Argote is considering adding a class that combines yoga with Pilates. To stay on top of current trends, the club regularly surveys members to see what kinds of group classes they're interested in.

"Every couple of months, something new comes out," said Argote, who recalled that not long ago aerobics was big and Spinning was new. "Basically, the members create the schedule."

But even traditional workouts are finding new legions of devotees as well. Dave MacGillivray, race director for the Boston Marathon, has watched participation in distance - running events grow exponentially in recent years. For many, he believes a mind-body connection is at work: Once people realize they can manage the physical challenge of running a race, he said, they become hooked on the mental and emotional satisfaction it can offer.

"I think almost anybody can do it," McGillivray said, "you just have to want to."