Fun fitness activities to try this new year
Published:Friday | December 30, 2022 | 12:43 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
A new year is on the horizon, and with people looking forward to shedding all the pounds gained from Christmas dinners, it’s game on in the wellness department. Here are a few fun activities you can start doing in and out of the gym for the new year.
Running - You don’t have to be a seasoned runner or track star to take on the challenge. And if you have concerns about safety, you don’t even have to take to the streets in order to get this cardiovascular activity in your life. If you do choose to become a ‘roadrunner’, it’s best to enlist the expertise of a personal trainer or join a runner’s club. But if that sprint route is not for you, then you can take your jogging or racing efforts closer to home, like around your apartment complex, or home. You can always document your count with smart devices.
Cycling - A very elite and sophisticated sport on one end and a pastime as well as mode of transportation, there’s no denying the adrenaline rush of cycling. The fact that it is an incredible way of breaking a sweat is a sweet bonus.
Hiking - Here’s a new phenomenon that has been sweeping the nation. Escaping the hustle and bustle of the city to climb the hills of the clean and serene outdoors does wonders for both the mind and the body.
Swimming - If you live on an island, this is the ideal skill to acquire. Learning different techniques and breathing methods is sure to improve agility and alertness. Going back and forth with laps is also a great cardiovascular workout.
Aqua aerobics - Similar to swimming, the water activity does an awesome job of burning fat in the most effective low- impact way. Water weights are usually involved and because persons are lighter underwater, the muscles and joints are able to extend greater than usual to achieve workout and fitness goals.
Dancing - A perfect way to have fun and keep up with the latest beats and moves is through dance. The most important part is that you will be getting in some much-needed exercise without having that burnout feeling. Just let the music take you where you’ve never been before and express yourself.
Walking - This could look like dedicating time to doing a brisk or low-impact walk in and around your neighbourhood. Or you can switch up the way you go about your day by taking longer strides to your favourite places and opt to take the stairs instead of the elevators.
Yoga and/or pilates - A beautiful form of connecting the mind, body, and spirit, yoga and pilates are considered low impact as opposed to running but still effective in losing weight, releasing tension and stress while improving flexibility.
Spry training - This trend has been doing the rounds in recent years as one of the most intense forms of workout there. The style of movement requires going all in with different indoor and outdoor gym activities, sharpening the mind and pushing the body beyond its limit.
Household chores - This may be the most underestimated or underrated form of workout. But tackling house and yard chores can be the most productive way of killing two birds with one stone. Activities like sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping floors indoors works both the upper and the lower body. This full body workout isn’t just limited to indoors. On the outside, raking the yard, mowing the lawn, washing the car, gardening, carrying groceries inside or upstairs all contribute to the best unstructured cardio you could ever do.