Have Fun, Get Fit
The only thing harder than starting an exercise program is sticking with it – especially if the thought of hopping on a treadmill day after day isn’t appealing. The good news is that getting fit doesn’t have to involve endless hours at the gym. In fact, the best way to make exercise a healthy habit in your life is to find something that you enjoy doing, whether that’s hopping on a bike, jumping in the pool, or taking your dog for a brisk, daily stroll.
If you’re looking to lose weight, gain confidence, or just feel healthier this year, set yourself up for success by finding a routine that feels more like fun than fitness. Read on to discover four out-of-the-box activities that just might motivate you to make fitness a permanent part of your routine.
Pickleball
Pickleball is a funny name for a game that is most simply described as a combination of tennis and badminton. Players use paddles to hit a wiffle ball across a net on a court that is significantly smaller than a tennis court. Besides being addictively entertaining, this game is great for your health because it promotes cardiovascular endurance, hand-eye coordination, and improved balance. Over time, players gain better agility, as well as toned muscles and increased stamina. Plus, an hour of pickleball can burn between 320 and 500 calories, depending upon the intensity of the game.
The sport of pickleball is not as physically demanding as tennis. The pickleball court is half the size of the standard tennis court, so there is less running involved, which keeps the intensity low and decreases the risk of injury. (It’s also worth noting that getting hit with a pickleball does not hurt as much as getting hit with a denser, faster-moving tennis ball.) The rules of the game dictate an underhand serve, a single bounce before the first hit, and a non-volley zone at the net, which slows the game down significantly and makes it an enjoyable alternative to higher impact sports.
Many of our communities organize weekly pickleball games in which all members are welcome to participate. Check the Events page of MyTrilogyLife.com or MyArdienteLife.com to find out when you can join your neighbors for some fun and friendly competition on the pickleball courts!
Dance
Whether you prefer to waltz across a ballroom floor, do-si-do to the commands of a square dance caller, or shake a leg to the beat of your favorite tunes in the privacy of your own living room, you can enjoy all of the benefits of a great cardio workout just by dancing your heart out.
Dancing can burn as many calories as walking, swimming or riding a bicycle. During a half hour of sustained dancing you can burn between 200 and 400 calories. One factor that determines how many calories you’ll expend is distance. In one study, researchers attached pedometers to square dancers and found that each person covered nearly five miles in a single evening. Dance workouts provide cardiovascular conditioning that can contribute to a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and an improved cholesterol profile when practiced regularly. As an added benefit, the side-to-side movements of many dances strengthen your weight bearing bones, which can help prevent or slow the loss of bone mass.
Many of our communities offer weekly dance activities, including Zumba (a Latin dance-based exercise class), ballroom dancing, line dancing, and even ballet. Check the Events page of MyTrilogyLife.com to find out what’s available at your community.
Hula Hooping
Hula hooping isn’t just for kids, though this is definitely a fun activity to share with your grandkids while you’re getting your daily dose of exercise!
Hula hooping strengthens and tones your core (abdominal) muscles, which helps prevent back pain and improves balance and posture. Like golf, hula hooping promotes muscle and body awareness, as it requires you to coordinate the movement of your hips with the motion of the hula hoop.
According to an article in Time Magazine, one hour of intense hula hooping burns the same number of calories as an hour spent jogging on a treadmill. Hula hooping, however, is a much lower-impact activity that is still an incredibly effective way to build cardiovascular endurance and regulate body weight. Hula hooping is rhythmic and oscillatory in nature, which is great for your joints. Regular joint mobilization is important for optimal joint health, and hula hooping does just that – it mobilizes your joints without putting undue stress on them.
Perhaps the greatest appeal of hula hooping – aside from the fun factor – is that it’s so convenient. This is an exercise that you can do on your own, anytime, anywhere. The only equipment required is an inexpensive hula hoop. (Note that hula hoops come in different weights. The lighter the hoop, the more energy is required per body rotation to keep that hoop moving.) So, instead of sitting on the sofa during your favorite television show each day, you can stand up and hula hoop from the beginning of the show to the end, taking short breaks as needed. You’ll have an effective, calorie-burning workout without leaving your living room.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a mind-body practice that originated in China as a martial art. Today, this low-impact exercise is a popular offering at many fitness centers across the country – including those at the Trilogy communities. Tai Chi involves a slow, continuous flow of motions that are named for animal actions, like “white crane spreads its wings.” Because many of these motions are circular, the muscles remain relaxed and the joints are not fully extended, so connective tissue is not stretched. The benefits of this practice include stronger muscles, higher aerobic endurance, and improved balance and flexibility.
Tai Chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but according to a recent Harvard Medical School publication, it could more accurately be described as “medication in motion.” According to Peter M. Wayne, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Tai Chi and Mind-Body Research Program at Harvard Medical School’s Osher Research Center, there is much evidence that this mind-body practice has value in treating or preventing many health conditions commonly associated with age.
A typical class includes a warm-up with easy motions like shoulder circles, followed by instruction and practice of the Tai Chi forms, and ending with breath work and energy work. Most of our communities offer Tai Chi classes; so check the Events page of MyTrilogyLife.com or MyArdienteLife.com to find out when this class is held at your community’s fitness center.
Do you have an out-of-the-box activity that gets you moving? If so, feel free leave a comment below.