Running on a treadmill for 30 minutes can be monotonous and boring no matter how good your iTunes are. Working out is great for the body and lifestyle but when it becomes a daily routine that you dread, it is time to change up your workout regimen. Running outdoors, swimming, Pilates and yoga can give you just as great a workout without the repetitiveness of using cardio machines.
Running Outdoors
Instead of staying indoors and working up a sweat, get outside and hit the trails. Running outdoors can give you a sense of freedom that can be limited within the confines of a gym. Find a nearby park, track or even create a route in your own neighborhood. For a change of scenery, find a running buddy and create a route in a friend’s neighborhood. Running with a partner can also help you to stay motivated during the workout.
Pilates and Yoga
Pilates and Yoga classes are a great way to workout your muscles in a relaxing setting.
Pilates and Yoga will tone your muscles and streamline your body in ways that weight and cardio machines cannot. These exercises can improve your coordination, posture, flexibility and help you to cope with stress.
Yoga is intended to improve strength in the mind and can sometimes be referred to as a meditative exercise. Pilates on the other hand focuses on strengthening the body. By constantly changing positions, you work different muscles and by holding those positions, you are improving muscle tone. Although Yoga and Pilates are not hot and heavy workouts, you will be able to feel their effects long after a session.
For those who crave a strenuous workout, try bikram yoga. This type of yoga is held in a room heated at 105 degrees F. According to bikramyoga.com, having the temperature at this level helps open pores and detoxes the body to release toxins during the workout.
Swimming
Swimming laps can be a great cardio workout that also works the arm and leg muscles.
Whether you are swimming laps or treading water, you will be able to feel your muscles working while you move through the water. For beginning swimmers, fins can help you glide through the water quickly and with more power. To get a great arm workout, use a pull buoy between your legs to keep from kicking. This will allow you to utilize your biceps and triceps as you pull through the water. To work out your legs, use a kickboard and kick the length of the pool.
For those who can’t swim or feel uncomfortable in deep water, stay in the shallow end and water jog. The water offers resistance which will also workout your muscles.