Chasing Old School Exercise

There are many days that it is truly a conscious effort to go to the gym.  You have to go through the trouble of changing clothes, driving to the gym, and the hardest part is motivating yourself to actually stay on a treadmill long enough for you to break a sweat, right?!  Well I have a couple of new solutions to get your heart pumping in less than 10 minutes!

Remember Jump Rope for Heart back in elementary school where you had to jump rope for hours and never seemed to get tired?  Try that now people!  The other day I picked up a jump rope at the gym and tried to go for 10 minutes at a moderate pace.  What an amazing workout!  It seems so silly that hopping over a rope for a little while can drive a heart rate up and keep you entertained.   If you want to make the workout a bit harder, try pairing an iPod with this exercise and jump to the beats of your favorite song.  Another great feature is you can do this in the convenience of your own home!  If you can eliminate a drive to the gym or get a similar workout quicker, why wouldn't you try it?

Say jump roping isn't your thing.  Well my second suggestion will give you ab muscles that you haven't seen before!  This may sound a little crazy but get out your leis and get to hula hooping!  About a month ago at work we had a hula hooping contest for the comedic value, but I will tell you what.  When I tried hula hooping for more than 5 seconds I realized there is actual skills required to do this!  I've learned its all about shaking your hips but you will find your entire core needing to engage to make this work.  I found this to be a ton of fun and another thing that would be great to do around young kids or friends at parties.  Don't want to take my word for it?  Check out Alison Sweeney's blog where she endorses this as well!