Workouts That Don’t Feel Like Work

The new year often boosts our desire to improve or maintain fitness. We plan to eat well, stay hydrated, sleep, and work out. Everyone knows we should do these things, but find it difficult to start. How often do we find excuses to skip a workout or cut it short? How often do we loathe the idea of starting? There’s a simple fix to this - cut the boring workout! Stop making your workout something you hate! You hate running? Don’t run! There are TONS of options for effective exercise that may be more appealing to you. Effective exercise that you might even find fun!

Find a Friend

Some things are better with company. Find a friend to join your workout. If you can’t find a friend with the same goals or compatible schedule, find group exercise classes in your area. Working out with a group can be motivating and fun. An instructor will be there to guide you. This removes the stress or wasted time of not knowing what to do. This is also a major plus if exercising is new for you because you have a guide to show you what to do and how to do it correctly and safely. There are a variety of classes to match your goals and interests. Yoga, Zumba, Barre, Pilates, HIIT Classes, Spin, Boot Camp, and Water Aerobics are some classes that can be found at most community gyms.

Try a Class

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  Yoga - This type of exercise has nearly a dozen variations of its own, with the most popular styles including Hot Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, and Gentle Yoga. Deliberate, concentrated movements and postures designed to promote flexibility, tone and strengthen muscles, and align the body make up the class. Most often, breathing techniques are also utilized along with the movements, allowing participants a relaxing experience coinciding with the movement. This class is ideal for someone looking for a relaxing, quiet routine that helps them release the day while building muscle tone and flexibility.

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  Pilates - often compared to Yoga, Pilates brings a heavier element of core focus, with repetitive and small movements of isolated or full body muscle groups. Pilates tones the full body and promotes endurance. This routine uses movements like planks, side planks, and core exercises to enhance your muscles and core strength, all while promoting relaxation with integrated breathing.

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  HIIT Classes - HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training and is an exercise strategy that alternates short periods of intense exercise movements, followed by less intense, but still active “recovery” periods. The goal with a HIIT class is to reach a sustained target heart rate for exercise, allowing you to quickly burn fat in a brief amount of time. This class is ideal for someone looking to burn serious calories through intense cardio movements, and work up a sweat!

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  Water Aerobics - A fun way to engage muscle endurance and strength in a low-impact setting. This aerobic-style class usually involves light dumbbells and movements designed to get your heart pumping at a steady, consistent pace. This workout is ideal for anyone who is looking for a steady, longer, low-impact routine that is exciting and unconventional from standard routines.

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  Cycling - A cycling class is a great cardio workout! Oftentimes, the class includes fast-paced upbeat tracks to help build the heart rate at different intervals over the course of the workout with alternating periods of sitting and standing, as well as adjusting the intensity. You are in control of your own bike, so you can tailor your workout to your own level.

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  Zumba - Zumba takes a spin on conventional ideas of exercise and converts it to an upbeat form of aerobic movement that disguises the effort of regular workouts! A series of energetic dance routines mix low intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning, dance fitness party. This class is for anyone who loves to dance or just wants a fun, music-inspired form of movement!

Try Something New

If joining a group class or working out in general really don’t jive with you, consider picking up a new hobby. This could be a sport - like a local tennis group, basketball, or soccer team. Give pickleball, CrossFit, or badminton a shot. Playing on a team brings the motivation of a group mentality, but keeps the fun in remaining active as you play towards your goals.

Get Outside!

One of the most underrated workouts is… walking! Get outside and take a walk. Play a good podcast or bring some music. Take a friend or pet to keep you company. Start small. Walk for a certain amount of time before turning around, or pick a route you want to follow beforehand. If you have a way to track steps, set a goal for yourself and walk until you meet it. If you want to amp up your walk, try hiking. Hikes make an excellent workout as well as incredible memories! Take a hike somewhere new and experience the world around you. You may find that you like hiking so much, you travel based on hiking destinations! Who would’ve thought your workout could be the backbone of a vacation? If walking on land isn’t for you, consider taking to the water! Swimming is an excellent form of exercise. This can start small with a few laps a day until you work yourself up to a higher intensity. If you’d rather stay above water, consider trying water sports like kayaking, paddleboarding, or surfing. All of these engage your muscles and keep you active while still allowing you to enjoy the beauty of the water and most importantly, have fun!

Take Care of Your Body

No matter what workout you choose, it is important to care for your body. In order to feel healthy and ready to workout, it’s important to get the proper nutrients and keep your joints strong, especially if your body is experiencing more impact than before. Studies show that collagen is critical to the support and reconstruction of joints and is indispensable if used as a recovery tool after exercise. Luckily, you can keep collagen in your diet very easily by adding BUBS Naturals Collagen to your water, morning coffee, or post-workout smoothie.