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You’ve heard it all before: Mix fun with
your fitness, the minutes will just fly by, and before you know it
you’ll be 10 pounds lighter.
The reality is a bit of a different story. Having fun
while you work out is more than simply mounting a TV in front of your
treadmill and logging miles while watching “Dancing with the
Stars” (though, let’s be honest, it does take the guilt out of
the guilty pleasure). No, having fun with health and fitness means trying
new things, doing things that appeal to you, and, most of all, sticking
with it. Try some of the ideas below, and see if you can’t find one
that fits:
Play video games
If you can find a Nintendo Wii, buy one before
“Wii Fit” hits the market in 2008. Wii became an instant hit
(and scarce) with its “active play” style, where users imitate
the sport they’re playing, such as tennis or bowling. Ironic for a
game system, Wii actually was credited with getting people off the couch.
Nintendo has leveraged that and taken it a step further with “Wii
Fit,” which utilizes a pressure-sensitive balance board for
core-fitness activities like aerobics and yoga, as well as other
“games.”
Laugh it up They say that laughter is the best medicine and,
according to Dr. Madan Kataria, it’s more than just an expression.
It’s no secret that stress has been linked to illness, nor is it news
that relieving stress can improve health. That’s where Laughter Yoga
comes in. Created by Dr. Kataria, Laughter Yoga combines laughter
exercises, or simulated laughter, and yoga breathing. Typical sessions last
20 to 30 minutes and can be found through Laughter Clubs or through an
organization offering Laughter Yoga workshops. Millennium SportsClub,
Vallejo, Calif., recently offered one such workshop to give members
“a new and different way of relieving stress,” says program
director Jo Nash. Visit laughteryoga.org to find a Laughter Club or
workshop.
Talk to your equipment With all the advances in fitness technology, it
really was only a matter of time before sports equipment talked. That day
has arrived with the talking jump rope. And don’t knock it before you
try it — the jump rope offers a serious workout. The Everlast Talking
Jump Rope utters encouraging phrases or plays music and features a counter
that tracks your time, calories burned, and revolutions. Restoration
Hardware’s talking jump rope and pedometer track and announce
revolutions, time, and calories burned.
Bring the baby For busy moms, finding the time, motivation and
opportunity to work out can be tough, which is why Baby Boot Camp was
created. The classes are both pre- and postnatal and combine cardiovascular
exercise with strength training for a full-body workout that targets all
major muscle groups. Kristen Horler, founder and CEO of Baby Boot Camp,
says that children up to age 6 come to the classes and that one of the
biggest things Baby Boot Camp does with its stroller-based fitness classes
is eliminate the obstacle of having to hire a baby-sitter to get out and
workout. It’s also a great social outlet for moms-to-be, moms and the
kids. “There’s a lot of camaraderie in the classes, as the
women share similar life experiences and have that element of relating to
each other,” Horler says. “It’s also very entertaining
for the kids.” Most of all, it’s guilt-free and good for you.
Get your golf on If working on your golf game doesn’t seem like
a way to get fit, think again. Fitness actually has more to do with golf
than people realize, according to Anthony Renna, a certified golf fitness
instructor and strength-and-conditioning specialist, who founded
golffitnessproducts.net and the Better Golf with Fitness blog and podcast
(fitnessforbettergolf.typepad.com). Both sites feature an array of
information — articles, products and experts — to improve
fitness for better golf. “Golf can be rough on the body’s
biomechanics, and you really want to be as mobile and stabile as you
can,” Renna says. Therefore, the better the shape you’re in,
the better mobility and stability you can achieve, the longer you can play,
the better your game will be and the more fun you’ll have. Not to
mention that “all the tour pros are taking fitness more
seriously” notes Renna, so you’ll be following in Tiger’s
golf spikes in no time.
Exercise and educate Multitasking is the best way to get everything done,
so why not exercise while learning a new language and culture? San
Francisco-based Connect18 is a fitness and learning video program that
takes you on virtual tours while you burn calories cycling. The videos
feature the local scenery of an area, learning activities, road footage,
music, and exercise routines. They’re designed for either a group
setting or at home, so check with your local health club as it may offer
classes that utilize the videos. According to the company, the video
“journeys” are designed to “address the fitness needs of
your brain and body.”
Eat trendy Everyone knows fruits and veggies are the staples of
healthy eating, but getting the right balance of nutrients while satisfying
that daily requirement can be tricky. Stuffing yourself full of one type of
fruit or vegetable isn’t necessarily the way to better nutrition.
Enter the hybrid. In recent years, the markets have seen the rise in the
popular mixed fruits and vegetables, such as broccolini (a cross between
broccoli and Chinese kale) and the pluot (a hybrid of three fourths plum
and one fourth apricot). In the case of the broccolini, the result is a
sweeter taste, while for the pluot the skin is not as bitter as that of a
true plum. From a nutritional standpoint, these cross blends aren’t
necessarily higher in vitamins and nutrients but may produce a better
variety, says Chicago-based dietitian Jan Dowell. For example, if you take fruit containing just
vitamin C and cross it with a fruit containing vitamin A, you’re
getting half of each of the vitamins but you’re getting both the
vitamins, which you weren’t before. Depending on the percentages of
the blends of fruit or vegetable, the nutritional value changes but one
thing stays the same: They’re good for you.
Buy yourself a present Rewards reap rewards right? Why should fitness be any
different? One way to stick with any new fitness program or activity is to
outfit yourself. If you’re taking up a running or walking program,
check out fun, new fitness skirts from Brooks or SkirtSports that both
flatter and perform. Keep your time on a new sports watch from Timex or a
GPS unit from Garmin. Sign up for a fit, smart new cell phone, such as
models from Nokia or Siemens, which offer phones with calorie counters, BMI
calculators, heart-rate monitors and fitness planners. Set a goal and when
you achieve it, treat yourself to a gear gift — it really does keep
on giving.
This article appears in Dec 27, 2007 – Jan 2, 2008.
