Raise your hand if “getting in shape” is one of your goals for 2014. If your hand is up, you’re in good company! Getting fit is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions.
New to fitness and don’t know where to start? Stuck in a rut and want to freshen up your routine? Take a look at the following list. It is by no means exhaustive or all-inclusive; my intention is simply to demonstrate the numerous options for fitness and movement-based activities. There is truly something for everyone, from the adventurous to the introspective.
Find your passion. Make 2014 your year to fall in LOVE with fitness!
A: Aerial circus (why not?), aerobics (i.e.: step, dance, hi-lo)
B: Barre fitness (i.e.: Barre3, The Bar Method), barefoot walking, bouldering, bowling, basketball (via organized teams for women or solo drills), bellydance
C: CrossFit, cardio kickboxing, crew, cycling
D: Deep water running, diving, drumming (don’t laugh… Drumming can work up a sweat!)
E: Electric biking, elliptical training
F: FemFusion Fitness, fly-fishing
G: Gyrotonic, golf, gymnastics
H: Hiking, Hab-it Pelvic Floor DVD
I: Interval training (i.e.: H.I.I.T. or Tabata training, run/walk intervals)
J: Jazzercise (it’s still hot!)
K: Kettlebells
L: Les Mills training programs (i.e. BodyPump, BodyCombat, BodyJam), Latin dance, leapfrog or other physical games with your children (or adult “children at heart”)
M: Martial Arts (i.e. karate, judo)
N: Natural movement (i.e. MoveNat)
O: Outdoor ANYTHING (i.e.: jogging, walking, stretching, bootcamp-style fitness classes)
P: Pilates, paddling, power lifting, ping pong
Q: Qigong
R: Rock climbing, running, resistance training
S: Speed walking, swimming, skating (ice, in-line, or roller), skiing (downhill or cross-country), stair climbing (inside in a stairwell, outside at a park, or at the gym on a stair-climber machine)
T: Tai chi, tennis, TRX Suspension Training
U: Urban hiking, ultimate Frisbee
V: Various forms of dance (African, Latin, Middle Eastern, country line dancing, interpretive, modern, jazz, ballet, pole dancing)
W: Water aerobics/aqua fitness, willPower and grace, Wii Fit
X: Xbox 360 with Kinect, P90X
Y: Yoga, YouTube (some of my favorite fitness channels include FitnessBlender and Blogilates)
Z: Zumba
Is your favorite physical activity or fitness program missing? Leave a comment and let us know!
Brianne Grogan
Brianne Grogan is a women's health physical therapist who believes in the power of healthy living to create strong, happy women - the backbone of a thriving society. Brianne is the author of FemFusion Fitness for Intimacy and and the founder of FemFusion Fitness, which offers live and online fitness and yoga resources for women. Visit her on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube.
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Kay Lynn
Sunday 5th of January 2014
Excellent list except walking is missing.
Brianne
Sunday 5th of January 2014
Kay Lynn --- you're so right... And funny, because it's my primary form of exercise aside from the FemFusion classes I teach! I have "barefoot walking, hiking, and urban hiking" on the list but not plain ol' WALKING. I was trying so hard to think outside of the box that I missed one of the basics. My apologies!