Are you like me and a little stuck in the late 80’s and 90’s; you stick to going to the gym to get your workouts?  You’re happy with some time on the treadmill, Stairmaster, or elliptical and pushing some weights around?  Do you partake in the aerobics classes and spin classes?

Don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing wrong with that (heck, that’s what I’m still doing, but not for much longer).  Getting in the gym is definitely much better than sitting back on the couch and doing nothing at all.

How to go about getting a good workout has changed quite a bit in the last few years.  The type of workouts, the variety within each type of workouts and the availability and accessibly to different workouts and exercises is better than any other time in the history of exercising. There’s a lot of diversity out there and New Orleans offers it all.

Here is a quick look at what’s available – in the next few weeks we’ll take in-depth look at each of the various workouts.

Yoga:

The word yoga means “union” in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between the mind, body and spirit.

What is commonly referred to as “yoga” can be more accurately described by the Sanskrit word asana, which refers to the practice of physical postures or poses.

Asana is only one of the eight “limbs” of yoga, the majority of which are more concerned with mental and spiritual well being than physical activity. In the West, however, the words asana and yoga are often used interchangeably.

Many people think that yoga is just stretching. But while stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits.

(Source: About.com)

Pliates:

Pilates called his method Contrology (from control and Greek -λογία, -logia), because he believed his method uses the mind to control the muscles.^[3] The program focuses on the core postural muscles which help keep the body balanced and which are essential to providing support for the spine. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and alignment of the spine, and aim to strengthen the deep torso muscles.

(Source Wikipedia)

Boot Camp Workout:

Boot camp workouts are efficient because you work your entire body– heart and muscles–by going from one exercise to another with no rest. The workouts involve calisthenics like pushups, jumping jacks, crunches and other body weight exercises…the difference lies in the intensity. In boot camp, your challenge is to take your body to its limit. You work, you sweat and, best of all, you burn calories like crazy.

(Source: About.com)

KettleBell:

Used by the Russian military and Special Forces, the kettlebell (or girya) has been touted as the most effective, efficient piece of strength training equipment available. Proponents of kettlebell training suggest that it increases strength, power, speed, co-ordination as well as core stability. Some even claim that it can replace several different forms of training and is superior to more traditional weight training.

(Source: Sport Fitness Advisor)

Crossfit:

CrossFit is a strength and conditioning fitness methodology. Its stated goal is to create “the quintessential athlete, equal parts gymnast, Olympic weightlifter, and sprinter.”^[1] Crossfit is not sport-specific and promotes broad and general overall physical fitness.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Kickboxing:

Cardio kickboxing is an excellent way to get your whole body into shape! And while you burn, burn, burn calories, you’ll also be learning valuable self-defense moves and releasing a lot of stress. Cardio kickboxing involves a wide range of moves, combining various techniques that add up to an impressive workout. Our cardio kickboxing classes typically target all the major muscle groups – abs, legs (and buns!), arms, as well as your cardiovascular system. We combine floor exercises with cardio kickboxing techniques to offer a powerful, invigorating workout. (Source: A-Aerobic Kickboxing & American Tae Kwon Do Studio)

Home workouts:

P90X: P90X® is a revolutionary system of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts, designed to transform your body from regular to ripped in just 90 days. (Source: BeachBody)

Exergaming:  Exergaming (a portmanteau of “exercise” and “gaming”) is a term used for video games that also provide exercise. Exergames have one element of exercise and one element of gaming. The “gaming” aspect is a short form for video gaming. “Exergames” sub divide into two main implementations, those with a game specifically designed to use an exercise input device and those implementations using a genre of, or a generic game. (Source: ExergameFitness.com)

Is there anything else you do?  Did I forget anything?