Whether it’s about craving a fresh healthy start to the year or hoping to reverse the effects of holiday indulgences, many of us will find ourselves focusing on working out this time of year. Often, that means hitting the gym.
However, if the idea of doing the same dull machine circuit, going through the motions at the free-weight area, or trying to find a group class that fits your busy schedule is a motivation killer, there are alternatives.
If you’re looking for ways to get fit beyond the gym, consider these fun out-of-the-box ideas.
Puppy Yoga
If you’ve tried yoga and are convinced it’s not for you, there’s nothing like downward dogging with actual dogs to change your mind.
Puppy Yoga Club in Phoenix gives you the opportunity to do just that with an hour-long session that combines the benefits of a solid yoga workout with the inner boost that only playful puppies can deliver. Start with a 30-minute yoga session suited for all levels, where you’re surrounded by four-legged motivational pals as you strengthen and stretch. Next, enjoy 30 minutes of playtime bliss as you cuddle with the warm and soft puppies and relax with your new best workout buddies by your side.
Fitness Circuits at the Park
With the idyllic weather this time of year, a leisurely stroll to the neighborhood park is likely in your plan. But with exercise equipment and designated workout stations, many parks double as an outdoor gym.
Head to Chaparral Park or Comanche Park, where stations offer a variety of apparatus for full-body workouts, including strength and cardio. The Activate Fitness Circuit at Osborn Park is designed for ages 13 and older, and exercises include sit-ups, push-ups, lift and row, pull-ups on monkey bars, parallel bars, a pipe climber, and a balance challenge.
Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS)
Tired of sweating around others doing a workout that’s either too advanced or not advanced enough for where you’re at in your fitness journey? Then, concierge fitness company CurrentCor EMS is for you.
CurrentCor EMS offers a full-body workout designed exclusively for you in the comfort of your home. By harnessing the benefits of Electrical Muscle Stimulation, workouts are efficient and effective in building strength and sculpting lean muscle with the intensity of a traditional workout, delivering results that would typically take three or four hours to achieve in just 20-30 minutes.
VR Fitness
Serious VR enthusiasts have left the metaverse drenched in sweat. This has sparked a fitness craze that channels the physical and mental enthusiasm for Virtual Reality into a workout that’s as intense as you wish.
Virtual reality technology meets ordinary fitness routines to add a motivational gaming element. The versatility lets you reach fitness goals or sneak in a workout under the guise of hard play as you use VR headsets and wearable accessories that track movement, heart rate, and metabolic rate for measurable results.
There are VR fitness apps that allow you to work out in any setting, whether a traditional gym or lush, picturesque landscape, to achieve lean muscle mass, weight loss, strength gains, and cardiovascular endurance.
Gyms such as EōS Fitness also offer this workout, so call the fitness centers near you to see if they do.
Paddleboarding and Paddleboard Yoga
There are few workouts that target the core like ones incorporating a paddleboard. If this is a goal and you enjoy water activities, there are two popular options.
Stand-up paddleboarding—or SUP—requires core-strength balance while the lower and upper bodies remain at work. It’s ideal for taking in moving scenery from a different perspective on the water. For example, Saguaro Lake offers 22 miles of scenic shoreline and is a favorite to paddle at sunrise. Reward a morning of invigorating exercise with a picnic on your board secured up to friends. Find inflatable paddleboards at Tempe Town Lake.
If you’re a more experienced paddleboarder, you may want to give paddleboard yoga a try. Head to Lake Pleasant for a private or group yoga experience atop a paddleboard. After a brief paddleboarding introduction, beginners and experienced paddlers alike can find what they seek. Add-on options include a floating sound therapy session or a calming meditation on the water.
Aerial Hammock Yoga
Ever wanted to do yoga poses while lounging in a silk hammock suspended from a ceiling? You can at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess’s Well & Being Spa. Take your workout to literally new heights as this method allows you to overcome gravity as you glide and release into each pose under the guidance of a certified instructor.
Virtual reality technology meets ordinary fitness routines to add a motivational gaming element. The versatility lets you reach fitness goals or sneak in a workout under the guise of hard play ...