Do you love exercise? If you’re like many people I know, maybe the answer is “not so much.” Maybe you do it simply because you think you should to lose weight. But two recent studies concluded that exercise does not cause weight loss. So should you skip exercise and just focus on what you eat? Not so fast. Remember, exercise affords tremendous benefits to overall health and well–being, including heart health, bone health, and for me, personally, mental health.
Rarely do you ever hear a person say, “I wish I didn’t work out.” But how often do you hear “I feel guilty I didn’t make it to the gym”? In reality exercise shouldn’t be a chore, but instead something that makes you feel good before, during, and after. Some people I know really love going to the gym; for them, a workout of lifting weights and doing cardio machines is perfect. For others, the gym is boring or makes them uncomfortable. You don’t even need to go to the gym though, you could just get something like these Houston tennis lessons. That way you are exercising and you learn a new skill as well. There are many ways that you can make exercise more bearable. When you think about it, it will benefit your health, so it is important to give it a go. Maybe a way of making it fun could be by involving your kids. Of course, it wouldn’t be anything extensive, but unless it is made fun, then kids may not be as interested in giving this a go. This goes for us adults too. By starting off with doing exercise routines at home, with a simple search of kids songs youtube, you can help make exercise fun through dance, as well as staying healthy.
Below are some fresh ideas to get you moving:
Pilates. Developed by Joseph Pilates, the method emphasizes the balanced development of the body through core strength and flexibility. Moves are done either on a mat or on the Reformer, resistance equipment specific to a Pilates studio. Years ago, I did Pilates and can honestly say that I have never worked my abdomen like I did on the Reformer.
Spinning. If you like to get your heart rate up and enjoy cycling, spinning is a win-win. Before I discovered yoga (we’ll get to that below), I was a devoted spinner. I loved the energy of the room and camaraderie with the other cyclists. If I was still into spinning today, I guess the question would be whether I would choose Flywheel or SoulCycle. If you live in NYC, Chicago, or Miami you know what I’m talking about, as they’re the trendiest spinning studios around, trendier than even some restaurants or clubs. Flywheel has developed the TorqBoard, an in-studio display that provides riders with the option to compare their performance against the rest of the class in real-time. To me, this sounds very cool—perhaps because I’m very competitive. I’ve heard the instructors teach very challenging classes, set to high-energy music. SoulCycle also has very challenging classes, which are taught in rooms lit by candles; supposedly the environment is exceptional. The cycling routine incorporates both upper body and core workouts.
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