Dropping the Pounds: 8 Creative Exercises to Help You Lose Weight ~ Guest Post

Losing weight isn’t as easy as people make it seem sometimes, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible if you use self-control when exercising and watching what you eat. Sure, spending your off time walking for endless hours on a treadmill is boring, but that’s not the only way to trim the pounds and stay fit. Consider incorporating these eight exercises into your routine to add a little fun and flavor to it.

Zumba

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If you’ve ever turned on the TV, watched a show with dancers on it, and wondered how they stay in such great shape, look no further than Zumba. This high-energy cardio workout based on dances like the Merengue, Salsa, and Reggaeton (mixed with other international moves from Africa and Asia) incorporates a lot of stretching and strengthening.

You’ll tone your legs by doing squats and lunges, and engage your core with kicks and forward bends. The music is geared more toward a nightclub audience than a gym class, so there’s plenty of motivating energy in the air to get your heart pumping. This exercise routine is easy for beginners to start, being that it’s built around standard moves repeated often.

Pole Fitness

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If you’re looking for a quality cardio workout with an exotic twist, try pole fitness. From twirls, dips, climbs, pull-ups, crunches, to inversions, this workout delivers a serious strength-training routine for your upper and lower body. If you looking to lose weight, this routine is perfect because it involves constant movement.

If you’re a beginner, remember that some of the dancing moves done in this workout to improve balance and coordination can make these classes tough. It’s recommended that you take a basic class first to learn the moves and build your endurance and strength.

Cardio Kickboxing

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This workout combines martial arts, boxing, and traditional cardio movements, and is great for fighting off stress and tension. Expect to bob and weave and shuffle and jump nonstop to help your burn fat and help increase stamina. Throwing rapid-fire punches, knee strikes, and kicks will improve your muscle tone, coordination, and balance.

Whether you’re hooking, jabbing, or delivering roadhouse kicks, this workout will bring pain to all parts of your body including your shoulders, biceps, triceps, glutes, quads, thighs, hamstrings, and calves. If your form isn’t sloppy, you’ll get results fast without the need for a punching bag.

Hula-Hooping

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In case you haven’t noticed (if you’ve been a couch potato then you wouldn’t), hula hoops are back and better than ever. If you think this isn’t a workout, think again. Spinning a two-pound hula hoop around your waist not only tones your core muscles, but the hoop’s constant motion also strengthens your heart and helps improve your stamina.

While you may think that hula-hooping only involves spinning it around your waist, there are other variations of the workout like arm and leg circles that help tone shoulders, biceps, hips, triceps, thighs, and glutes. You can also incorporate Pilates into this exercise or use a heavier hoop if you’re ready for a tougher challenge.

Washing Dishes Calf Raises

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Exercising doesn’t have to mean attending a gym class or doing something elaborate; it could mean doing something as simple as calf raises while you’re washing the dishes from dinner. If killing two birds with one stone sounds appealing, then try this workout if you want to tone up your calves.

Dancing

Image via Flickr by Bill Ward's Brickpile

Whether you’re in a gym class, at a nightclub, or on a cleaning rampage at home, dancing is a great way to get the blood flowing and get your heart pumping. This workout is fun, easy, and you can do it at almost any time in the day – anywhere. Just turn your favorite music on your speakers or headphones and dance your calories away.

Walking the Dog

Image via Flickr by Magnus Brath

Because researchers have found a link between asthma rates and obesity, it’s important to perform every day activities that can count as exercises. Sometimes there’s simply no time for the gym or for elaborate classes, so what better way to get your cardio in than taking your best friend for a walk around the block. Not only is this good for your health, but it’s good for your dog’s wellbeing too.

Brushing Teeth Squats

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Much like the washing dishes calf raises, this exercise kills two birds with one stone. Whether you’ve just waken up or are getting ready for bed, do some squats and tone up your hamstrings and quads while working on your bright smile. Again, this is a fast and easy way to incorporate exercises with your daily routine. Exercising can seem redundant. Try these creative exercise workouts to spice things up.