Body Blog: Find an Exercise Class Right For You

In order to lose weight and keep it off, finding a fit activity that you love is essential. If you loath the redundancy of a 30 minute workout on an elliptical, treadmill or bike, here are some of the best new fitness classes that may be offered right now at your school!

By SarahFit

Zumba

If you love to dance, this exercise is a must try! The latin inspired fitness dance class took sports gyms by storm in 2008. According to the official Zumba® website, “Zumba® Fitness was created in the mid-90’s by Colombian native Alberto “Beto” Perez, a celebrity fitness trainer and choreographer for International pop superstars. Inspired by the traditional cumbia, salsa, samba and merengue music he grew up with, Beto paired his favorite pulsating Latin rhythms with the red-hot international dance steps his clients loved and Zumba® Fitness (Spanish slang for “to move fast and have fun”) was born!” Click here to find the nearest Zumba class to where you live.

Pilates

Pilates really works your core and creates a leaner looking midsection. It will teach you how to suck in your beer gut without having that “sucking it in” look on your face in pictures. If you are naturally thin and are looking for a way tone up, this is an awesome exercise that will even make you look taller! For beginners you will most likely just use a mat and your own body weight. You will break a sweat, but this is not a heart pumping exercise. You may not even realize the muscles you are using during class, but you will definitely feel it the next day. I personally have noticed the slimming and toning effects after just as little as 2 classes. If your school doesn’t offer Pilates classes, you can check out a few of my favorite routines for free here. On average, Pilates burns about 330 calories per hour.

Yoga

You probably are familiar with Yoga, but what you may know is that although it doesn’t provide a cardio workout, it does help weight loss efforts. In a recent study, it was revealed that yoga may help you lose weight and keep if off better than a low carb or low fat diet as a result of it’s the meditation effects. The meditation allows its practitioners to feel confident in their skin and achieve a healthier lifestyle. Those that were on a low calorie, low fat, low carb whatever, lost weight initially but were unable to keep it off as time went on. The yogi’s adopted a healthy lifestyle that allowed them to make wise food and exercise decisions. It also will give you an awesome body as a result of holding difficult poses. It does wonders for your arms and abs, making it a great form of exercise for tank top season! It’s also relaxing and is proven to combat stress and depression! On average it burns about 200 calories per hour.

Spinning

Seen in many movies like the opening scene from “The Sweetest Thing,” spinning is definitely an acquired taste. I will honestly admit I have never taken a class because I do not like bikes. However, it is an awesome workout for burning calories like crazy. In the words of my sister, “It’s a super cardio workout.” If you wanna lose weight, take this class. If you need a challenge, take this class. The high intensity workout can burn you about 700 calories in an hour (based on a 140 lb woman). If you want to try out your biking likability, try this 4 minute bike workout that will give you an idea of how much you like the bikers burn!

Other classes to check out at your school are kickboxing, bootcamp style classes, hula hooping, stip tease aerobics and cardio classes. For more free workout videos delivered weekly subscribe to my YouTube channel, DietHealth. Did I mention we give out free gifts to our subscribers each month, from free food to healthy recipe books and fitness DVD’s?

You can also follow me on twitter (DietSarah) and ask any fitness questions you may have! See you next week!