13. Dance the Night Away
Even if you have two left
feet, turn on your CD player or put your iPod in its docking station
and start moving. Whether it’s in your bedroom or your living room or a
local club or studio, dancing is wonderful exercise. In fact, aerobics
as a form of exercise began as an offshoot of jazz dance (sort of like
New York City’s Rockettes). Because you move quickly and use all of your
limbs, you burn a ton of calories dancing. The funny thing about
dancing, too, is that all you really need is a sense of rhythm and an
enjoyment of music—you can be good at it no matter what your size or
shape.
14. Decide on a Dance
Here’s a list of different dance
styles, their benefits, and their calorieburning count for a moderate
intensity for 30 minutes. Try these dances to work your body and boost
your metabolism.
•Ballroom dancing: Burns 150
calories an hour. Strengthens leg, shoulder, ab, arm, back, and glute
muscles; increases flexibility; improves concentration; only increases
heart strength if you do fast steps, such as swing dancing
•Ballet: Burns 150 calories
per hour. Strengthens leg, shoulder, ab, arm, back, and glute muscles;
increases flexibility; does not increase cardio power (you need
concentration and stamina)
• Country line dancing: Burns 125 calories an hour. Strengthens leg, shoulder, ab, arm, back, and glute muscles
• Disco dancing: Burns 175 calories an hour. Strengthens leg, shoulder, ab, arm, back, and glute muscles; strengthens the heart
• Salsa dancing:
Burns 170 calories an hour. Strengthens leg, shoulder, ab, arm, back,
and glute muscles; increases flexibility and strengthens the heart
15. Go Horseback Riding
Just imagine bundling up
in a sweater and scarf on a chilly spring or fall morning and riding a
horse along a beach past crashing waves or through a leafy forest glade,
replete with dew-laden spiderwebs and small critters scurrying out of
your path. The world looks and feels different from the back of a horse.
Horseback riding seems to heighten the senses of sight, smell, and
touch. Riding at full gallop requires the use of those thigh muscles and
feet and hands to stay in the saddle. Mounting and dismounting also can
provide a little workout. But the joy of sitting atop a horse and
observing the world awakening is a bonus for doing horseback riding as
an exercise.
16. Join a Bowling League
You might not know that
the ancient Egyptians enjoyed a good game of bowling. Of course, their
balls were stone and players at opposite ends of the lane threw their
balls (a big one and a smaller one) at the same time. Today many bowling
leagues are looking for a few good participants. Of course, you can
bowl alone if that makes you happy, but many people believe that bowling
is a game best enjoyed in the company of family or friends. Getting out
for a few hours of bowling is good for shifting the constant pressures
of home and work and decreasing stress levels while strengthening your
friendships by engaging in pleasurable activities with your bowling
partners.
17. Take Diving Lessons
You’ve dreamed of seeing
coral reefs, sunken treasure ships, and the beautiful world that lies
beneath the surface of the ocean. What’s keeping you from making your
dream a reality? Dive shops often have dive instructors who will teach
you the basics in a swimming pool. Then you’ll take day trips to the
ocean or a body of water where you can put what you’ve learned to work.
Divers watch out for each other and the friendships can continue long
after the dive is over. Find the time, money, and the courage to go
after your dreams. On the other side of achieving them, you’ll feel
pleasure and gratification and have a few new friends. And you’ll lose
lots of weight!
18. Coach a Children’s Sports Team
If you have children, you
already know how much they love to run while playing games in the yard
or at school. You can help them develop an appreciation for teamwork and
good sportsmanship by coaching their team in T-ball, soccer,
gymnastics, synchronized swimming, football, track and field, or other
sports. Children are naturally happy and enthusiastic. Volunteer to
serve as their coach and share in their joy when they play. You may
discover that winning or losing really isn’t as important as how they
play the game.
19. Choose an Active Vacation
Take an active vacation,
with no goal other than to enjoy yourself and have fun. There are spas
with a fitness focus, resorts with activities (skiing, swimming, and
skating), walking vacations, biking trips, hiking treks, and far more
adventurous options, such as mountain climbing, backwoods cross-country
snowshoeing, kayaking, trips during which you learn to sail, and other
skill-focused adventures. Whatever your choice, be sure to bring the
equipment requested and the right shoes so that you’ll be comfortable
and able to take part in all the activities.
20. Make Fitness Your Destination
When you plan your next vacation,
consider centering it around physical activity. Build hiking or kayaking
or even mountain climbing into your plans or look for an organized
event you can participate in. Here are some planned events that offer
the opportunity to visit new places, be active in the great outdoors,
and meet new people while having fun.
• Bay to Breakers, San Francisco, California
• Bike Ride Around Lake Tahoe, Lake Tahoe, California
• Gasparilla Distance Classic, Tampa, Florida
• Peachtree Road Race, Atlanta, Georgia
• Run to the Far Side, San Francisco, California •
21. Take an Adventure Vacation
For bold travelers, there’s
nothing more exciting than an adventure vacation. Not only do you get to
experience a place you’ve never seen before, but you also get to
challenge yourself physically and keep in shape. This type of vacation
can go in many directions. Are you interested in biking? Perhaps you’d
like to bike through France, stopping at hostels along the way. Do you
like running in races? Why not follow a trail of 5K races all over New
England in the spring? Here are some other ideas that might fulfill your
adventurous whims.
• Walk the outback of Australia.
• Learn to surf in Hawaii.
• Learn to sail in the British Virgin Islands.
• Bicycle through Baja California.
• Hike to Machu Picchu.
• Helihike in British Columbia.
The important thing to
remember about these trips is that they require training. Even if you’re
very active, you need to train specifically for the type of trip you’re
going to take. Ask the group you’re going with to advise you on ways
you can get in shape to get the most out of your trip.
22. Make Any Vacation an Active One
While adventurous vacations are
lots of fun and give you great memories, they can take a lot of planning
and money. If you don’t have the means or the stamina for such a
vacation, don’t worry! You can turn almost any vacation into a fitness
vacation with just a few easy additions. The following is a list of
things you should consider taking with you on your trip, although, of
course, the exact list will depend on your location and activity:
• Bathing suit, towel, bathing cap, goggles
• Exercise bands
• Exercise DVDs
• iPod with downloaded workout programs
• Sneakers
• Workout clothes, including bike shorts
• Yoga mat
Finally, if you want to
consider luxury with fitness, consider fitness spas! Spas used to be
associated with weight loss and deprivation, but now they have accepted
and embraced the knowledge that fitness is an essential part of health,
weight loss, and relaxation. Spas will encourage you to hike, swim, lift
weights, and do Pilates and yoga, and you can do any of these things in
Arizona, Tennessee, or Provence!
23. Build a House with Habitat for Humanity
Swing a hammer, carry
some lumber, and help build a home for a poor family if this appeals to
your social conscience. Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org)
is a nonprofit organization that works in tandem with volunteers in
communities worldwide to build houses for low-income people. Former
president Jimmy Carter and his wife spend a week every year swinging
hammers to help erect affordable shelter for the poor on behalf of
Habitat for Humanity. If you believe that you could be doing more to
help the less fortunate, then grab your hammer, get out there, and work
up a sweat with—and for—people like yourself.
24. Adopt and Regularly Walk a Rescued Dog
Animal shelters all over America
often have more animals than they can properly care for, meaning that
some animals’ lives will end there. You can make a difference by
choosing to adopt a pet from a shelter. Regular exercise keeps your
animal—and you!—trim, agile, limber, and mentally alert. Physical
exercise improves his joint health as well. Take him to the dog park
where he can play with other dogs, too, because dog experts say it is
good for his socialization skills. If your dog belongs to one of the
larger breeds such as a Labrador or German shepherd, leaving him in your
backyard does not guarantee that he will exercise on his own. Take the
time to exercise together as part of your daily routine. Whether you’re
walking, jogging, or swimming together, think of it as happy bonding.
