Alternatives to the Traditional Work Out

Staying active is an extremely important part of a healthy lifestyle.  We’ve all been told before working out is the best way to achieve the ideal body we have implanted in our minds.  But there are other ways of reaching our goals.  The traditional work out we would usually do entails activities such as running/jogging/walking outside or on the treadmill, lifting weights, using the elliptical and other machinery, and crunches and push ups.  This may work for some people, but for others it could get boring or seem uninteresting.  There are many alternatives to stay active besides the types I just listed.  A few of the ones I find most interesting are listed below:

1) Yoga – For all of you who need a little more relaxation in your life, yoga is an excellent choice.  It combines physical, mental, and spiritual practices to form an overall holistic approach to working out.  Yoga Each pose requires physical strength and flexibility as well as mental determination and patience.  Yoga can help to build muscle strength, increase flexibility, burn calories, alleviate health problems, and reduce stress.

2) Hot Yoga – This activity is exactly what it sounds like.  Yoga (as described above), but in a room set with the temperature at 100 degrees.  I attended a Hot Yoga class before and loved it.  The temperature of the room starts warm and increases as the class progresses.  I personally think Hot Yoga is better because the temperature allows your muscles to relax and be more flexible.  A lot of people are worried because it’s so hot, they’ll faint.  But the instructors allow for water breaks and are very careful when it comes to the health and safety of the students.  So if you feel dizzy, they work with you to ensure you feeling better.  Hot yoga has all of the same benefits of regular yoga, but you are expected to burn up to 500 calories per class!

3) Pole Fitness – I know what many of you are thinking, “Pole dancing? Like for strippers?”.  No, pole fitness is an actual activity that is offered in the professional sense.  There are centers where pole fitness is taught as an activity similar to yoga and dance.  Pole fitness entails stretching, core work outs and using these two skills on the pole.  However, performing the skills on a pole is much different than performing them on the ground.  Pole fitness requires extreme amounts of upper, lower and core strength.  You are required to hold your body weight and engage almost every muscle in your body.  This activity develops muscle and mental determination. (I’ll be taking my first class this coming weekend, so look for a follow up post on how it went!)

4) Zumba – This dance craze has become incredibly popular since it’s introduction in 2001.  It combines fitness, entertainment and culture into a dance-fitness work out.  The main goal of Zumba is to make the work out feel like a “fittness-party”.  They accomplish this goal by using choreography to up beat music that produces a total-body work out.  Zumba classes are offered in 185 different countries in 140,000 locations such as local schools, gyms and recreation centers.

5) Hiking – While hiking may seem like more of an hobby than a way to stay active, it has health benefits that are similar to those from the traditional work out.  Being outside in a different setting other than a gym is already a benefit.  Hiking is a form of cardio and therefore reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and colon cancer.  It also leads to better blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Since hiking is a walking up hill, it also increases the strength of leg muscles and bone structure.

These activities are all different forms of working out.  They are mentally and physically engaging, yet in the unconventional sense.  So whenever you’re looking for a work out to spice up your routine, try one of these!

Sources: Zumba.com, webmd.com

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