Ways to spice up your cardio workout

Getting a good cardio workout can be extremely tedious. If you’re one of those people who gets on the treadmill, stair master or bike and after three minutes starts thinking, “when can I get off this thing?” “Is it over yet?” If so, then you’re like millions of people who force themselves to work out because they have to, but what about working out because you want to?  Radical, I know, but chances are that if you have to force yourself to do it, eventually you’ll run out of discipline and stop doing it so you may as well take some time to find something that’s enjoyable to you so that you’ll stick it out for the long haul.

There’s such a variety of mind/body, dance, sports workouts out there that with a little searching of the internet, or by clicking on the links at the bottom of this article, you can get a great workout and have fun.

Old-school gym class
There are a large array of Boot camps that have cropped up recently. If you’re someone who likes calisthenics but can’t get motivated to do your own workout, a boot camp is a great choice. The best thing about boot camp is that it’s early in the morning and while it’s a real drag to get up early to go exercise you feel amazing once it’s over and the best thing is you have the whole day ahead of you and you’ve already done your workout. Who wouldn’t feel good about that?  Check out Brooklyn Bridge Boot Camp, Strong Healthy Woman, or Warrior Fitness .

Dance the weight off
If you like to dance there’s a dizzying array of dance exercise classes that will make you feel great and help you forget that you’re working out. Crunch has a huge selection of dance classes (including Broadway, lyrical, African Dance, Hip Hop, Salsa Fusion, and at least a dozen others). If you don’t have a gym membership there are also independent studios that offer dance classes such as; Bollywood Axion for Bollywood and Bhangara dancing, serena studios for belly dancing, Manhattan Motion for bellydancing, easy cardio dance, and Zumba, and Djoniba Studio for all kinds of African dance.

Take it to the Pole!
The great thing about pole dancing is that you truly forget that you’re exercising! There are a number of studios out there (Shockra Studio, S Factor) that offer a variety of pole classes and Crunch and Equinox both have pole dancing on the schedule. So get in touch with your inner stripper and get out there!

Fusion fitness
If dancing’s not your thing but you’d like to have the long lean lines of a dancer then check out a fusion class. Fusion classes take elements from dance, pilates, and yoga and fuse them into an intense fat burning workout. Check out Exhale Spa or Physique 57 studios for fusion classes.

The eating season starts in just a few weeks. What better way to prepare for the pig-outs to come than to have a great exercise routine that you love in place. So if you’re not happy with your routine check out some alternatives. If you have an interesting exercise class that you love please write in! I’m planning on doing a part 2 to this article and will publish your suggestions.