10 Workouts You've Probably Never Tried...But Should! | Workout & Exercises slideshows | Physical activities center

Pole Workouts Strip Away Fat and Give Strength and Confidence

While dancing poles once had a seedy reputation, they've been taken up by a new generation of women who are using them for their own purposes, keeping the glamour and playfulness and throwing out the tawdriness. Pole dancing is basically a form of gymnastics: the strength and mobility required to perform some of the moves is not to be dismissed and there's real skill involved. It's easy to learn the beginning moves, but if you enjoy social exercise classes and you're bored of yoga, pilates and aerobics, pole workouts could be for you.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Watch Mojo by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/watchmojo/5384214687/
health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise/10-weird-workouts.htm

Join the Circus Workout - You'll Be Flying In No Time!

Circus workouts are based on the movements you'd find in a circus. Rather than rushing out of a car, or strongman moves, though, circus fitness classes are likely to focus on acrobatics, trapeze skills and tumbling. They draw some athletes interested in similar disciplines, like capoeiristas and parkour players, and some are taught by regular circus performers. You'll learn still trapeze and other skills including partner balancing, and the true sign of their enduring popularity is the number of fusions between circus and established fitness systems that have begun to crop up, from AcroYoga onwards. If you fancy something of the beaten track, that has a reputation for getting you fit and that will leave you with some impressive skills, circus training might be for you!

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Andrew Kaszowski by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/whereisandrewnow/7253696282/
articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-09/lifestyle/38399049_1_barnum-amp-trapeze-school-new-york-fitness

Karaoke Workouts - Hit the High Notes as You Burn Fat

Karaoke workouts simply combine training with karaoke. We're all familiar with using music to help us work out, from aerobics classes to the guys in home gyms lifting to Slayer (you know who you are!), to the commercial gyms playing chart music. And there's good evidence that music allows people to put forth more effort, resulting in more effective training sessions. But singing while you train has additional benefits. Not only does it increase the distraction benefit that't thought to account for music's beneficial effect for trainees, it requires breath control, meaning that your cardio efforts are more effective now the pace and rhythm of your breathing is dictated by the song rather than the exercycle.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Andrew Yee by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/halfchinese/204826725/

High Heels Workout - Step it Up a Notch For Healthy, Beautiful Legs and More

High heels exercise classes are built around training in high heels. Sometimes led by podiatrists or professional dancers, high-heel fitness classes involve lower body staples like lunges and squats, as well as high-heel-specific posture training and exercises to strengthen the feet and calves, resulting in reduced damage from high heels. While high heels are inherently disrupting to the body's normal architecture and will never be 'healthy,' like any stress the body can be taught to resist it - and women are unlikely to stop wearing high heels any time soon. However, with high heels workouts, you can learn to wear them better.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Steven Depolo by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/3670318270/

Training in the Park or Street is Catching On!

Training in the park or street is a staple of countries where gyms aren't widespread, and it's a favorite of parkourists who reason that they play their sport in the streets, so why not train there? As more traditional fitness professionals and others from other walks of life including breakdancers and gymnasts come together in parks and streets to swap advice and information, it's becoming more possible to stroll down to a park and find a group. There's the Bar-barians in the USA, Team Tigerblood in the UK and more groups worldwide. Some are open and friendly, some are closed, invitation-only or otherwise unwelcoming, but you can often find someone to train with and some great training ideas this way. Additionally, 'boot camp' style fitness classes often take place in parks, using a mixture of equipment and the park's open space to use military-style training to help you meet your body composition goals. Some make a point of hiring ex-military personnel, for that 'Full Metal Jacket' feel!

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Community Spaces Fund by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/communityspaces/4076979779/

Hula Hoops - Coming Back Round Again, And They're a Hit With Celebs Too

The hula-hoop is a classic of fitness equipment - low priced, light and simple, it still allows for a great workout. Start with the simple hip twirl we all remember from childhood - a move that gives you rotational core stability and hip extension, two attributes many people are sorely lacking in, as well as a cardio workout. Using the hula hoop for 30 consecutive minutes won;'t just burn fat and make you sweat: it's considered by one personal trainer to be the equivalent of 500 sit-ups! Meanwhile, Kelly Osbourne and Beyonce credit the Hule Hoop with giving them their much-envied figures...

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Mercy Health by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/mercyhealth/6996647852/
health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise/10-weird-workouts.htm
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2333002/The-10-minute-workout-rolled-away-spare-tyre-weeks-Think-hula-hoops-toys-They-change-life-.html

Yoga Fusion Workouts Are catching On - Try One Out!

Yoga Fusion refers to a range of yoga systems that combine traditional Hatha Yoga asanas (postures) with elements of one or more other exercise systems, typically with an emphasis on cardio, an element that's largely missing from Hatha Yoga. The principle type of yoga fusion is YogaLates, as the name suggests a fusion of yoga and pilates. There's another popular yoga fusion workout system called 'Booty Ballet,' a mixture of dance, yoga and other elements designed to give body composition changes and improved fitness. While yoga purists may shudder at the idea of bits of yoga being cherrypicked for fusion and mix-and-match systems, the reality is we've all been doing this for years anyway - and there's no denying that it's effective!

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Carolyn Coles by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncoles/2863111974/

Work Out With Your Pets For a Feelgood Workout Experience

Taking the dog for a walk has many benefits. You, the dog and the terrain all exist in tension and the demands on you will change as you walk, so that you'll get more from it than you would by walking alone. If just walking the dog isn't enough for you, though try these tips: Leash your dog and find a long stairwell, and run the steps with your dog. Some dogs will need pulling forward; others will need pulling back! You can get some cats to chase you by tempting them with a string or toy; others ill chase lights on the wall, so try doing sit-ups with a flashlight in each hand. At the top of each repetition, play the lights on the wall and watch your cat try to catch them!

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Andrea Arden by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/andrea_arden/8773932929/

Workout Crazes Come and Go - But Pogo Sticks!

Pogo sticks have been with us since the 1920s, but they have only recently been incorporated into the fitness world. Be warned: there' some skill involved, and you might find your first few hours aboard the pogo are spent falling off more than bouncing. After you master the basic skills, though, pogoing is low-impact, doesn't take up much space and requires only your trusty pogo stick, and you could stand to gain improved cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and increased bone density and better balance. And if you wanted to take things a stage further there are races, consecutive jump contests and more to make your pogo-ing more fun!

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of sean dreilinger by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/4819534221

Bounce Back With a Trampoline Workout For Strong Legs

Trampoline workouts are taking off as more and more of us install trampolines in our back yards and gardens. Smaller, one-person rebounders - miniature trampolines - are becoming a staple of gyms and exercise classes too. Trampolies are fun, and the increased compressive force as the legs are loaded during the bounce makes them a great way to build strong, explosive legs - but they're also a great way to build better bone density and joint strength in the lower body. Additionally, all that bouncing burns calories and builds a healthy heart and circulatory system, and after you master the basics, there are tricks to learn to take things to the next level.