Njoyable Workouts Essay, Research Paper
Nicole Sharac
Health & Fitness
2-10-00
Enjoyable Fitness Workouts
In a recent article found in Women?s Sports & Fitness, there was a
lengthy display of outdoor and indoor fitness exercises nation wide that were
actually enjoyable. The first of these energizing activities is called Bikram Yoga.
Bikram Yoga uses the technique of heat to maximize its effects. Taking place in
a 107-degree studio the participants work on their yoga postures (the tree to
name one), along with trying out many types of tension-relieving stretches to
enhance flexibility. Such strong levels of heat are used because the hotter one
is, the more pliable their muscles will become. Another type of excercise
included is called the Denver winter Sports Conditioning. This includes the
participants wearing/carrying weights and bands as they make their ways up the
mountain. This technique is good for those who enjoy the act of mountain
climbing and to improve their strength and mobility for future more difficult
climbs. In Chicago there is the Athletic Total Conditioning group. This is a team
taught group that is packed with military-style drills including things like running
in small squares, throwing medicine balls and jumping over low hurdles. The
class cultivates coordination, endurance, and strength. On the other side of the
country there is the New York Urban Rebounding group. This class is for those
sick of the usual workout scene. This class includes doing jumping lacks, kicks
and tuck jumps on the trampoline, which all do wonders for the quads, calves,
and abs. Rebounding is working against gravity and helps to detox the body by
flushing out the wastes.
In Washington, D.C. boxing is used to not only work out the body, but to
de-stress also. These 90-minute are broken down into sections. The first
section is devoted to the basic things like throwing punches, ducking imaginary
blows, and doing some fancy footwork. Then 30-minutes on the punching bag
with a partner, and finally ab work outs on the floor. In Atlanta there is a group
called the Atlanta Trekkers. This group goes through an hour long treadmill
class. It?s focus is on intense hill-training where the treadmills are elevated to a
15 percent incline. This group is good for those interested in prepping for
springtime hiking. Finally, for a workout a little closer to home there is the
Boston Kickboxing group. This high intensity hour is a great way to vent your
anger as well as improve your fitness. This workout consists of jumping rope,
fast sit-ups, pushups, lunges, and squats. Then it moves over to punching and
kicking your partner (with the gloves on).
I belie
ready and willing to find a source of exercise. There is so much variety involved
that pretty much anybody could find a fitting workout. I think that the broad
range of intensity levels as well as the number of possible participants makes
these excursuses very easy to approach by most women, along with some men.
But seeing that the magazine the article came from was a women?s magazine
than I guess the workouts are all suitable.
When looking deeper into the article and the sources it listed for the
activities, I found that most all of them were pretty high in cost. There were a
few inexpensive ones that you could do alone without equipment like yoga, and
mountain climbing, but such activities as mountain climbing should be done with
a few experienced people rather than alone or trying it out with a friend.
I felt that some of the workouts were a bit more realistic and than others
and could see myself attempting to do abut three-quarters of the ones that I
have listed. The Bikram yoga, which takes place in a sweltering 107- degree
area, seems to be a little to uncomfortable for me to adjust to on a weekly basis.
The military-style training that has been offered in Chicago seems to be a little to
strenuous for me as well. I could maybe do something like this one or two times
a month but thats about it.
I could see myself participating in the Urban rebounding group that gets
its workout by doing jumping jacks and tuck jumps on a trampoline. This seems
like a fun exercise that can lift spirits as well as attempt to help increase fitness
abilities. I also liked the idea of the 90 minute boxing classes that includes ab
workouts with it. I know boxing is a stress relieving sport and the training and ab
workout are good for the physical body. Another activity that I could partake in
is the treadmill workout. It sounds easy to do and it also sounds like a great
workout for your legs. And finally the mountain climbing segment is one that
gives a great feeling of inner and outer fitness. I know that I enjoy mountain
climbing for all the aspects its has to give. Along with the physical aspect, it
gives one a sense of peace and accomplishment. There is something about the
way you feel after hiking a mountain and being able to look down and see how
far you have come.
I think that the article was a very insightful one and gave many different
types of women (and men as well) alternatives to the typical workout situation of
running, or just being in the gym. I think that more attention should be put on
how to get more eventful ways to exercise in this country and perhaps that
would lead us to a happier as well as healthier country.