Summer’s hot and sunny days are upon us. But if you’re still shunning short skirts, sleeveless tops and bare-it-all-bathing suits because your winter layer won’t seem to budge, it’s time to STOP working out.
This summer, trade in the treadmill and stationary-bike-to-nowhere for some more fun fitness options that will transform your WORKout into a PLAYout.
Here are five I’ve recently tried… and loved!
See Meredith’s appearance on CBS2 at the end of this slideshow and stay tuned to her Trending vlog for more great workout tips and videos all through July.
Trade in the treadmill for some fun fitness options to transform your workout into a playout.
Indoor trampoline parks are popping up across the country and weare lucky to have several in Chicagoland. But these wall-to-wallbounce-fests aren’t just for Tigger-inspired kids. I hopped intoone of Sky High Niles’AIRobics classes held on Saturday mornings and bounced my way
through 50 minutes of low-impact/super-high energy cardiovascular
fun. And I burned a whopping 1,000 calories! Turns out the
trampoline is a serious booty buster. Check out JumpSkyHigh.com for class
times in Niles and Naperville.
You might as well JUMP
Like many little girls, I took buckets of dance classes when Iwas young. But while ballet was where I excelled, the “let’s makesome noise”tap classes were always the most fun. My secondstop was The Human Rhythm Project on South Michigan Avenue where I took
a refresher course in Tap 101. The studio’s old-school vibe, our
young hipster instructor, and the urban music gave me the feeling
of being on the set of “Fame.” We reviewed the basic toe-heel
techniques across the floor and then learned a snappy combination
that challenged both my body and mind. While it wasn’t a
sweat-fest, this playout re-introduced me to muscles I thought I’d
deleted from my contacts.
Tap that
Whether you’ve been a cheerleader, always wanted to be acheerleader, or loathed the cheerleaders, Cheerobix will make
you want to buy your own set of pompoms. This highly aerobic class,
held in two locations in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, is a
nonstop 90 minutes of pompom routines led by encouraging
instructors with cheer names like MATTrick Swayze and the
JENArator. I laughed and sweated more than in any workout-ever. If
this whole cheerleading thing sounds a little intimidating, don’t
fret. The instructors cultivate a very welcoming
“squad”mentality. No judgment, just good perky fun. I loved
Cheerobix so much I’m begging them to bring their pompoms up to the
North Shore.
Find Cheerobix class times and locations at Cheerobix.blogspot.com.
Pictured: Meredith’s appearance on CBS2 showing off her pompom skills. See a video of the segment at the end of thisslideshow.
Pompom power
If you’ve ever watched a girl on a pole, then you know howathletic those “dancers”really are. I swung into a pole danceworkshop at Flirty GirlFitness and was pleasantly surprised at the age range and body
types in attendance. We learned a flirty, sweat-inducing routine
and when I went home and showed my husband what I’d learned, he
asked if I wanted a membership. Flirty Girl has two lovely
locations in the West Loop and in the heart of Lincoln Park. Check
out their whole sexy schedule at FlirtyGirlFitness.com.
Bringing sexy back
For the last stop on my quest, I brought my personal trainerKevin Darling out to the playground to demonstrate a few simpleways to maximize our jungle gym time with the kids to tone up,stretch out, and get our blood pumping. Sitting on a bench watchingthem have all the fun is kind of a drag, so put down the latte andgo swing from some monkey bars!
Here are three ways to use common playground equipment fora better bod:
Pushup position with feet up on thebench: Pushing your knee to your opposite
elbow will rotate your abdominals and engage your transverse
abdominals. With gravity forcing you down, your shoulders are
getting some great stability work.
Hanging from bar with kneedrivers: From the hanging position, engage
your lats and arm muscles (see picture). Driving both knees and
twisting as you come up, you’re chiseling away for that
six-pack!
Back foot on bench, sinking the hips and rotatingboth arms: This attacks the lower body
(quads, hamstrings, calves). The rotation of both arms will really
loosen the spine and is a great tweak for all mothers who play
tennis, golf, paddle, etc.
The playground in Kilbourn Park received a failing score on a playground safety survey in 2009.
Playground circuit
Watch Meredith play away the pounds on CBS2!
