Braving the elements in the middle of winter is not everyone’s thing. And plodding up and down on a treadmill can be as boring as bat poo.
So what are you to do keep your body moving and the blood pumping?
Luckily times have evolved from treadmills and Jane Fonda aerobics videos. Here are 5 awesome ways to put a sweaty smile on your dial.
Indoor Cycling
I know we just bagged running on a treadmill but Indoor Cycling is far from mundane plodding. You can do it home if you have gear, but for an awesome atmosphere head to a gym or studio so you can get sweaty with some other bikers. Either way funky beats get your legs working and your heart pumping. You can burn 500+ calories in 45 minutes.
If you’re a true cycling nut there are programs like Sufferfest which REALLY test your fitness levels.
Yoga
Don’t be fooled thinking that yoga is just lying down and stretching with a softly spoken teacher who appears to have just stepped off a rainbow.
Yoga can kick your butt and make muscles sore that you never knew you had. There are heaps of different styles but all have the ability to strengthen your body and mind which gets a double thumbs up from us.
Swimming
Being “swim fit” is definitely a thing. You may train regularly but go for a swim when you haven't done in it a while and it’s all over red rover after 4 laps.
Swimming is low impact, helps improve breathing and burns energy. They are 3 darn good reasons to dust off the swimsuit and roll out a few laps at a nice heated indoor pool. If you're truly blessed the swim centre will also have a sauna for some after swim relaxation. But beware… swimming is notorious for making you HUNGRY!
Fighting
We don’t mean head out on a Friday night and pick a fight with the 1st bouncer you see.
They used to be intimidating gym but these days so many boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial art gyms are very welcoming.
You don’t need to step into the ring but training like a fighter definitely gets you huffing and puffing. You’ll also learn some pretty cool practical skills.
Trampolining
We thought it was just going to be a good way to entertain the kids but after 15 minutes of bouncing off walls I was spent. If you can keep bouncing for 45 minutes - 1 hr you can burn up to 700 calories.
Bouncing is kind to your joints, gets the sweat flowing and puts a smile on your face. Though as a word of caution watch out for out of control Dads believing they can still bust out some cool trampoline tricks from when they were much (much) younger.
Other worthy mentions
Here a few more indoor options that we didn’t get to...
- Barre Classes - A mix of ballet barre, yoga and pilates to condition the entire body.
- Pole Dancing/Fitness - Cardio and super strength all rolled into one.
- Ice Skating - If you stay upright it is fun and is a great way to work the lower body.
- Sex - Yep sex counts as getting active. It has a cardio benefit, can burn up to 100 calories, reduces blood pressure, improves sleep, destresses, and even boosts your immunity. Noice.
Feel free to hit us with your favourite indoor sweat-inducers in the comments :) You know we love hearing from you!
