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Workouts You Actually Love
If the gym isn’t your scene and the thought of training for the next marathon doesn’t get your pulse racing, consider activities that do. You might be surprised—the hobbies you love can often provide the best workouts.
Read more about the benefits of swimming, dancing and golf.
Swimming: Soak up the benefits
Swimming is an activity that might best be described as "one exercise fits all." It can be practiced by almost anyone, no matter what your age, whether you’re in top shape or recovering from an injury. That’s because water workouts don’t strain the muscles the way many land-based activities can. Among many of its benefits, swimming develops strength and endurance, works all the major muscle groups, increases flexibility and provides an aerobic workout, which is extremely important for heart health.
Here are some water workouts to try:
Lap up the laps. Challenge yourself to add one more lap each time you swim. Vary slow laps with fast laps. Alternate strokes for variety.
Go for a walk. Walk across the shallow end, using a heel-toe step (rather than tip-toes). Walk in circles to make waves for added resistance.
Get aqua fit. Movement in water provides 12 times greater resistance than movement in air. An aquafit class can give you a great all-over workout. Or you can do exercises on your own: hang on to the side of the pool or a flutter board, kick until you’re tired; do “crunches”; do leg lifts and squats in the shallow end.
Just play. If swimming laps sounds like too much, you can just play around and still benefit from water’s resistance and buoyancy. Jump and splash—the important thing is to keep moving.
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Dance: Waltz, shimmy, or shake your way to health
Whether you enjoy a slow waltz around the living room, or are training for a competition, dance is a great way to stay active. The benefits of dance are many: stress reduction, better posture and body alignment, increased confidence, improved agility, greater flexibility and stamina. And because dance is a low-impact sport and can be practiced at different intensities, it’s great exercise whatever your age or fitness level.
Choose your dance style. There are hundreds of styles of dance to choose from with choices fitting every interest and ability. Whether you prefer a slow and steady structured approach, like ballroom dancing, or a daring interpretive style, like belly dancing, there is certainly a style that’s just right for you. But, no matter which style you choose to learn, there are a few tips you should follow to get your feet—and your heart—moving in the right direction.
Break in the dance shoes. Investing in shoes made specifically for your particular style of dance will make dancing easier. They're specially designed to give you proper support without adding weight, and the soles allow you to glide across the floor without missing a beat.
Feel yourself move. Dancing is about individual expression. So rather than replicating your instructor exactly, feel the movement within and allow it to emerge as your own.
Forget the mirrors. Mirrors make you self-conscious. Sure, they can help with checking body alignment but they make it difficult for you to see yourself objectively.
Grab a partner. Though you certainly don’t need a dancing partner, like any other exercise, dancing is more fun—and easier to stick with—when you have someone to practice with. So, recruit a friend, or better yet, make some new friends at your next dance class. You may just find the Fred Astaire to your Ginger Rogers.
Boogie at home. If you can’t find an instructor near you or are too shy to shimmy in public, check out one of the many hot-selling new DVDs. And because you can also hit rewind, DVDs allow you to master your new moves at your own pace.
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Golf: A Fitness Hole-in-One
A classic summer sport, golf is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, thanks to the media spotlight on younger pros. From a gentle walk in the park (if you use a cart) to a vigorous calorie-burning workout (if you carry your clubs), this is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all fitness levels.
Get the most workout from your game with these tips:
• Don’t skip warm-up. Get in valuable stretching time before tee-off and between holes. Your golf club can provide the perfect anchor for bending and twisting. Flexibility not only helps prevent injuries, but also improves your golf performance.
• Pass up the golf cart. Get in some nice, relaxing walks between holes. Breathe in some fresh air and get the circulation going.
• Give the caddie a rest. Carrying your clubs can help build muscles and strengthen your bones.
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*Ask your doctor before engaging in strenuous physical activity
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