It's 2017! The new year is a time for us all to refresh and get psyched for the year ahead of us. For most of the public, that means hitting the gym and getting their cardio on to shake off that extra holiday weight. Going to the gym is always on everyone's New Year Resolution list, and yet, it's the one that is often neglected as the year rolls on. I'm not the most loyal person to the gym either because I know that life sometimes gets in the way of that. However, that doesn't mean that there aren't ways around going to the gym, because luckily, there are. You don't have to go and kill your body for an hour at the gym everyday to get the results you want. Plus, there's times when the gym isn't the best answer. So, don't get discouraged this new year, and try a few of these fun workout shakeups to get you in the mood to stay on track!

1) Squats

They're everyone's dreaded nightmare, but, in my opinion, they are the best thing you can do for your body. There are several types of squats, so look into one that best suits your needs. Also, for a little bit of fun and challenge, head to YouTube, where exercise guru Cassey Ho of "blogilates" does two squat challenges to two different Carly Rae Jepsen songs.

2) Work From Home

All you need is a clear workout space, a chair or two, and a lot of Pinterest posts. It's amazing what you can find from Pinterest. There are several boards all about workouts, including some that have a jam-packed workout planned for the duration of a song that you can choose. Pick one or two of these simple self-administered workouts and you'll be sweating just as much as you would be from the gym.

3) Biking

The outdoors are great. This activity may have to wait until spring to get its start, but it sure is a ton of fun. You could also recruit a workout buddy and ride bikes with them. Biking is highly renowned as the activity that burns more calories than running for a whole minute. I'll take the one with more results, please.

4) Dancing

Zumba and the popular video game series "Just Dance" are the only things that come to mind right now. You can totally do some damage by hardcore dancing for an hour. Plus, dancing is more fun than trying to do some new squat or weight move.

5) Yoga

Not only will yoga ease your mind and get you prepared for what's to come. Yoga, if done properly, will lose you a ton of weight. There are many videos on YouTube to get you started. May I suggest not starting with Jillian MIchaels because then you're sweating like you actually came home with with a ton of gym gossip. The only thing is, I wouldn't invite myself.