If you think beneficial aerobic activity is limited to hours at a gym working out on a treadmill, think again! Exercises that produce excellent cardiovascular results abound and they don’t all call for equipment or even a trip to the gym.
While regular gym trips to work with a trainer are always smart, there are some fun things you can work into your routine on off days, when you are away from home or just don’t have time to make the trip. Chances are if you talk to the body transformation specialist at your fitness center, you’ll even find your club has lots of options to offer that you might not have even considered.
To vary your routine and increase your enjoyment level, consider mixing up your aerobic exercise lineup with such things as:
- Cycling – Get a bicycle, a helmet and hit the open road. Stationary bikes do produce results, but the scenery can get boring fast! If you want to work cycling into your routine, it’s a great exercise that can even benefit your entire family. On off weather days, by all means, use the gym equipment. When the sun is shining, hit the open road for more enjoyment. You can also meet here at Fit For You Health Club on Saturday mornings at 8 am for a beginner to intermediate bike ride with Glen Breaux. Also, Sunday mornings at 8 am you can meet here for a more advanced ride with Ruth Challender.
- Swimming – This is one of the best holistic cardiovascular activities going. Swimming works the heart and lungs while also toning the muscles. If you don’t have access to a pool at home or in your neighborhood, take advantage of the surrounding great lakes. Traverse City, and Northern Michigan for that matter, has some of the most beautiful lakes in the world.
- Skiing – This is a great cardiovascular activity that can be a ton of fun, too. Cross country is the way to go to build up endurance and boost muscle tone and calorie-burning efforts. I know it’s not winter right now, thank goodness! But, just keep this in mind for when the snow flies!
- Sports – There are many sports that can serve very well in place of more structured cardiovascular exercises. Volleyball is fun to play and can most certainly add diversity to your workout routine. Why don’t you meet us every Wednesday down at the volleyball courts at west end beach. We start playing at 6 and it goes for roughly an hour.
- Dancing – Just get up and dance if you want to work your cardiovascular system and have some serious fun, too. Thirty or so minutes of moving to the beats of your favorite songs can really get your heart pumping and assist in cardiovascular conditioning.
- Taking a class – Fitness classes, spinning classes, Zumba and other organized activities can increase the fun of cardio exercise and even add to the camaraderie level. Check with your body transformation specialist to see what classes are offered at your health club or keep your eyes open for fun activities offered at neighborhood recreation centers.
While exercise machines will get the job done, a successful exercise program is one that offers room for flexibility and fun. If you want to increase the variety in your program, talk to your body transformation specialist for other fun ideas to mix things up a bit.
About the Author
Vern Gauthier a co-owner of “Fit For You Health Club”, Traverse City’s leading fitness and fat loss center. If you’re ready to begin your fat loss journey please call 231-922-7285 right now or click here to receive a complimentary nutrition and fitness Consultation (valued at $87).
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Very much informative and interesting article.keep it up!