Workouts A-E

Bicycling
Bicycling Basics
Biking isn't only fun, it's great exercise. It brings a new meaning to the words "training wheels."

For those of us who don't like exercising indoors, bike riding is a great way to get exercise and to get somewhere in life. Ride with friends or family, or go solo and let your daydreams keep you company. Run errands, commute to work or just go out and pedal hard to feel the wind in your face. Ride the road or hit the trails. With modern bike technology, almost no area is out of bounds.

Upside of Bicycling
Biking is one of the best fitness activities for whole families to enjoy together.

It’s also a great stress-busting solo activity.
Cycling is the one activity that allows you to cover some real distance.
There are plenty of biking tours available now through various regions of the country or world.
Biking is good for the planet’s health as well as your own. Why drive to the market for a loaf of bread when you can have fun getting there?

Downside of Bicycling
More than most outdoor activities, bicycling is subject to the vagaries of the weather.
High speeds and relatively little contact with the road don't mesh well with wet or icy conditions.
Road safety is key. Bicycling on roads filled with car traffic can add to your stress level instead of reduce it.
The road isn't the only thing that's slippery when wet. Brakes are, too.
Long, frequent rides can strain the neck, back and arms and even impair men’s fertility.


Boot Camp
Boot Camp Basics
Boot camp is a fast-paced, military-style interval-training class that incorporates calisthenics like the ones you did in the fifth grade. Classes include jumping jacks, pushups, running in place, football-style drills and lots of yelling. If you've always wanted your own personal drill sergeant, you'll love these classes.

The sessions are efficient because they incorporate a wide range of exercises at high intensity. You’ll strengthen your muscles and bones in addition to getting an excellent cardio workout.

If you have enough self-discipline, you can design your own boot camp for free by taking advantage of fitness trails and “par courses” that many municipal parks offer. Better yet, invite a few friends along to keep each other motivated.


Upside of Boot Camp
Tons of repetitions will tone muscles, and the fast-paced drills will keep your heart pumping.
Though there is a lot of repetition, the wide range of activities and quick tempo stave off boredom.
The result: a serious workout and great calorie burner.
For those who need a push to get moving, boot camp should do the trick.
For advanced exercisers who are tired of the same old routine, this could shake things up.

Downside of Boot Camp
Boot camp is not advisable for beginners or anyone who’s nursing and injury.
The risk of injury is high, especially because many of the moves are quick, ballistic and super intense.
Not all boot camp instructors are certified, well trained or safe.
Do you really want to relive fifth-grade gym class, perhaps with a dash of “Full Metal Jacket” tossed in for good measure?


Cardio Dance
Cardio Dance Basics
We have Jane Fonda to thank for popularizing this group class format featuring music with a beat, dance-style choreography and a whole lot of sweat.

Gone are the days where all participants don striped leotards and bulky leg warmers -- though there are still a few around. Today there is a class for every body, size, age and style. From step to salsa, you'll find a class that inspires you to burn calories and whip your heart and lungs into shape while having a great time.

In addition to promoting camaraderie, the group format increases motivation. This is a notable attraction for people who have trouble sticking to a fitness program or don’t like solo activities.

Cardio dance classes are often offered in three categories: low-impact (most suitable for beginners), intermediate (improving basic cardiovascular health) and high-impact (a hard workout for advanced exercisers). Starting at an inappropriately high level will increase your risk of injury, but taking a class that’s too easy for your level of fitness won’t increase your heart and lung power.

Many types of cardio dance classes are available. Some focus only on the cardio workout, but others have incorporated strengthening and flexibility exercises as well.


Upside of Cardio Dance
A good class is like a fabulous party. You can't stop dancing and you find yourself drenched in sweat even if you've previously had an aversion to exercise.

There can be a sense of camaraderie with other students if you all take the same class often. You and your dance buddies will spur each other on.

A good instructor will emphasize the importance of warming up and cooling down, two things that many solo exercisers forget to do.

When you nail down the proper techniques from classes, you can feel more comfortable exercising at home along to a cardio dance DVD or TV program.

Some people find cardio dance so much fun that they get hooked on physical fitness and branch out into other exercises they might otherwise not have explored.


Downside of Cardio Dance
Classes offer generalized instruction rather than individual.

If you are a serious athlete or serious couch potato, it may be difficult to find a level to suit you.

Increased repetition of the same movements in the same class increase your risk of injury -- you need to understand your limitations before leaping into a Cardio Blast Off or other advanced classes, especially if you've been injured or have any medical conditions.

Not all instructors are motivational or pay enough attention to safety.

Is Cardio Dance for You?
Body Parts Worked
Heart, lungs, full body

Calories Burned
About 408 an hour for a 150-pound person, 544 for a 200-pound person. Even more for high intensity classes.

Gear
Comfortable attire, water bottle, cross-training or aerobic sneakers. A good sports bra.

Location
Most gyms have dedicated classrooms with specialized flooring designed to absorb impact from group classes. At home, never work on concrete or carpet over concrete.

Time
Typical classes run 45-60 minutes.

Schedule/Flexibility
The range of classes available can accommodate most schedules.



Cardio Dance Tips
Find a certified instructor and style of class you like and can stick with. Seek out a gym with a schedule that offers lots of choices to accommodate your needs.

Beginners, inform the instructor that it's your first class and don't expect to do all the moves your first time out. Also let the instructor know if you have any outstanding medical conditions or injuries.

If you don’t want to join a gym, many community centers and schools offer cardio dance classes. But make sure the floor is suitably resilient.

Be sure your instructor begins with a 5 to 10 minute warm up before speeding things up. And the class should end with a cool-down period to bring your heart back to normal safely.

Wear good sturdy aerobic shoes rather than walking or running shoes. Aerobic shoes are stiffer and more structured to protect your joints from the ankles on up.

Drink enough water before, during and after the class.

It’s especially important to get prior approval from your doctor if you have heart trouble, joint problems or are prone to foot disorders such as diabetic ulcers.

Group fitness classes are an outstanding cardio exercise. It strengthens your heart and lungs, improves your cardiovascular system’s ability to deliver oxygen throughout your body, lowers your resting heart rate and builds your stamina.

It’s also a good example of a weight-bearing exercise, strengthening your bones and reducing your risk of osteoporosis. Dance inspired fitness classes can also be a decent muscle-strengthening and weight-loss exercise.

Be sure to follow correct techniques from a qualified instructor in a class at your level, in a facility with appropriate flooring. Failure to do so increases your risk of overuse injuries such as shin splints and traumatic injuries such as an ankle sprain.

You’ll still need to create a balanced workout program by including strength training, stretching and a variety of other types of cardio training. Strengthening exercises, in fact, enhance the weight-loss potential of cardio dance by boosting your metabolism.

Cardio dance can also open the door to other exercise experiences. It attracts many people to a fitness center who otherwise wouldn’t visit one. Once there, you might become interested in yoga, belly dancing, kickboxing, spinning, racquetball or weightlifting.



Circuit Training
Circuit Training Basics
What do you get when you cross an intense weight workout with an equally demanding cardio routine? Circuit training.

This is fast-paced weight training where you move from exercise to exercise -- sometimes running from one to another -- without taking a break.

Many exercises focus primarily on strengthening or cardiovascular activity, but circuit training combines both. You get to build up your muscles and your heart.

Instruction is typically offered in small groups. Each activity is brief, in some cases lasting as little as 15 seconds. Then you move right on to the next station, without resting so you keep burning calories and working your heart.

Activities range from weight machines to exercise bands to dumbbells to calisthenics. There may be several dozen stations, with a session lasting half an hour or so.


Upside of Circuit Training
This is a wonderful workout to liven things up if you're feeling stale from doing the same-old, same-old.
Circuit training is also the ideal routine if you're short on time.
The wide variety and energetic pace prevent boredom.
You go at the level of intensity that’s right for you but can still enjoy the motivational aspects of a group setting.
Check out a circuit training DVD you can do anytime you feel like burning fat and working up a sweat.

Downside of Circuit Training
Although you'll build moderate amounts of strength and burn some calories with circuit training, it's not a pure form of either one.

Slower, heavier strength training is better for building strength, and traditional aerobic workouts are better for burning calories and improving your cardiovascular fitness.

Depending on the size and speed of the class, an instructor might not have enough time to check each participant’s technique and form thus increasing risk of injury

Is Circuit Training for You?
This chart can help you see how circuit training fits your goals and lifestyle concerns.

Body Parts Worked
Just about everything – skeletal muscles and bones as well as cardiovascular system.

Calories Burned
About 544 an hour for a 150-pound person, 726 for a 200-pound person.

Gear
Regular workout clothes and a way to measure your heart rate or effort level.

Location
Weight machines, free weights and any other equipment that can be used for weight training. Can be done at home or a gym.

Time
20-60 minutes one to three times a week.

Schedule/Flexibility
Can fit even a busy schedule.



Circuit Training Tips
Try a "super" circuit: Alternate one minute of an aerobic exercise such as jump rope, stepping or stationary cycling with 15 reps of a weight-training exercise.

Don't forget to take your heart rate every 15 minutes or so, or at least rate your effort on a scale of 1-10 so you don't overdo or underdo it.

Many gyms have a circuit of weight machines so you can simply move from one to the next.


Climbing
Climbing Basics
Overcome your vertically challenged existence by climbing the walls -- literally. Sports climbing is one of the best ways to build strength, balance and coordination without setting foot in the weight room.

You climb a wall riddled with foot- and handholds while tied to one end of a rope. Your partner controls the other end of the rope, so you are safe and secure.

Climbing is a good total body workout. It promotes endurance and cardiovascular health, muscle and bone strength, and flexibility, without the tedium that some exercises can induce.

For some, climbing is primarily a fitness routine. For others, it becomes part of a quest for enlightenment and harmony. You might just start out in the neighborhood gym and end up scaling a monolith in Utah or a cliff in Yosemite.


Upside of Climbing
This activity requires and develops the perfect blend of physical prowess, mental toughness and cerebral dexterity.
You'll get so involved in the process you'll forget it's exercise.
This is one exercise that will not make you yawn.
If you graduate to outdoor climbing, you can enjoy amazing views of some of the most beautiful places in the world.

Downside of Climbing
You have to invest a lot of time to become a proficient climber.
You need a partner to "belay" you (manage the climbing rope), so this is not a solo venture.
If you’re not young and in shape like many climbers are and don’t know their lingo, you might feel intimidated starting out.
Climbing requires a lot of complicated gear, scrupulous safety measures. Plus, if you get serious about participating, it’s not exactly inexpensive.

Is Climbing for You?
This chart can help you see how climbing fits your goals and lifestyle concerns.

Body Parts Worked
All over, especially the hands, arms, legs, core and cardiovascular system.

Calories Burned
About 750 an hour for a 150-pound person, 1,000 for a 200-pound person.

Gear
A harness, climbing shoes, chalk bag, unrestrictive workout clothing. The ropes, hooks and other heavy-duty equipment are typically provided by the climbing facility but you’ll have to rent or provide your own.

Location
More and more gyms have climbing walls. You can also sports climb outdoors on rock formations, depending on the weather and where you live. Most climbing gyms require that you take an instructional course and participate only when there’s a qualified staff member overseeing the facilities.

Time
30 minutes to 3 hours.

Schedule/Flexibility
Can fit most schedules, when the facility is open – or when climate and geography permit outdoor climbing.

Climbing Tips
When you first start, know that you'll tire quickly and suffer from soreness the day after, especially in the forearms, back and shoulders.

Climb with a more experienced climber when you’re first starting out – you can get invaluable tips and suggestions.

If you’re interested in climbing outdoors, you can gain confidence by first learning in a climbing gym and improving your technique and abilities. Hire a guide for outdoor excursions.

Climbing instructors can also teach you important relevant matters such as nutrition, route setting and knot tying.



Dancing
Dancing Basics
Dancing is one workout that allows you to march to the beat of a different drummer, beat, bop or groove. And if you’ve ever seen Dancing with the Stars, you know there’s direct evidence at how fantastic a shaper-upper it is.

The steps, patterns and music keep your mind busy while you work your heart, burn calories and tone your muscles. Before you know it, you're drenched with sweat and feel exhilarated.

Nearly everyone can find some type of dancing to enjoy, from hip-hop to country line, from Irish step to jazz, from pole dancing to waltzing, from belly to Bali.

Folks who wouldn’t be caught dead pumping iron or doing squat thrusts can help keep fit while dancing the night away.


Upside of Dancing
Dancing allows you to explore different cultures and rhythms with styles such as salsa, ballet, swing, belly dancing and, yes, disco.

It builds balance coordination and style.
It's also a wonderful way to meet people.
You can have so much fun you’ll forget you’re getting exercise.
A huge range of styles are available in a wide range of locations, from dance studio to fitness club to community center. There’s also tons of great dance-style workout DVDs on the market for all levels of exercisers.

Downside of Dancing
It's easy to get tangled in the footwork or overload your circuits if you're not a natural or you try too much too soon.
Shy people might find it hard to get started in dancing.
Depending on the location, the quality of instruction and attention to technique and safety can vary greatly.

Is Dancing for You?
This chart can help you see how dancing fits your goals and lifestyle concerns.

Body Parts Worked
Varies depending on the type -- in general the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems.

Calories Burned
In general, about 306 calories an hour for a 150-pound person, 408 for a 200-pound person. A slow foxtrot will burn fewer calories than square dancing or disco.

Gear
Comfortable clothing and shoes. Some styles require specific shoes and even costumes depending on how serious you get. Inquire about footwear and clothing requirements if you plan to take lessons.

Instruction/Facilities
Classes are offered at community centers, ethnic societies, colleges, adult continuing education programs, dance schools, dance clubs and fitness centers. Private lessons are also available.

Time
Typically 60-90 minutes.

Schedule/Flexibility
Fits most schedules; ask about hours at your nearby facility.

Dancing Tips
Classes and dances are widely available. Check your newspaper’s weekend section or a community Web site.

You can usually try one class before committing to a series of lessons.
You can go to a disco or country-western club and freestyle to your heart's content. Lessons are not a must.
When you’re getting started, you may get winded easily. Take breaks and drink water when needed.
If you are taking a class that requires a partner, note that most classes have you change partners every few minutes.



Elliptical Trainer
Elliptical Trainer Basics
Part stair climber, part treadmill, part stationary cycle, elliptical motion trainers are a hot aerobic machine.

Your legs travel both forward and backward in an elongated circular movement. On some models you also pump poles back and forth for an upper-body workout.

Also known as cross trainers, these machines exercise your bones as well as your heart. They provide a weight-bearing activity that still goes easy on the joints.

Various models have options that add variety. In addition to adjusting duration and speed, you can change resistance, direction and often the stride and the incline of the ramp. Some models have programs that focus on certain goals, such as losing weight or toning gluteal muscles. It’s also possible to improve balance and posture by not relying on the hand grips.


Upside of Elliptical Trainers
Elliptical trainers provide a good break from the pounding of other aerobic activities.
They’re easy to use.
This exercise is an excellent cardio workout and a decent way to lose and keep off weight.
While exercising you can watch TV, catch up on your reading or spend some time with your daydreams and thoughts.
People with joint or bone problems may benefit from this low-impact exercise, though they should get a doctor’s OK first.

Downside of Elliptical Trainers
The calorie counters on most machines exaggerate your effort.
Poorly designed models will make you feel as if you're stumbling downhill on your tiptoes.
Some people consider this exercise tedious.
The upper body aspect doesn’t add much in the way of calorie burn or strength development.
Some people experience numbness in their toes when they elliptical train for longer periods of time.

Is an Elliptical Trainer for You?
This chart can help you see how elliptical trainers fit your goals and lifestyle concerns.

Body Parts Worked
Cardiovascular system, legs and in some cases the arms.

Calories Burned
Up to about 775 an hour for a 150-pound person, 1,025 for a 200-pound person.

Gear
An elliptical trainer and a good pair of light and flexible walking or running shoes.

Instruction/Facilities
You'll probably prefer using a high-quality gym model as opposed to the more cheaply made, poorly designed home models though some of the more expensive home models aren’t bad

Time
20 to 60 minutes, three to six times a week.

Schedule/Flexibility
Whenever the gym is open and the machine is free.

Elliptical Trainer Tips
Experiment with a combination of speed, slope and resistance level to find the proper workout intensity.

Use the calorie counter as a guideline rather than gospel.
As your body adjusts to the workout, you can increase resistance or time.
Practice good form, which especially means not relying on the handrails too much.
If your feet tend to get numb when using an elliptical trainer, try experimenting with different shoes and be sure to emphasize the push through the heel as you pedal.



Workout Ratings:
Cardio: Does it raise your pulse and exercise your heart?
Flexibility: Will it increase your flexibility?
Strength: Will it build muscles and make you stronger?
Weight Loss: Does it burn calories and facilitate weight loss?
Safety: Can most people perform without getting hurt?
Cost: Will this workout break the bank? (rated from low to high cost )