Dancing and Different ways to Stay Fit in the Winter!

by Megan Gates
(New York, NY)

For many of who live in climates that experience a true winter; this is the most difficult time of year to stay fit. Around the holidays many women resolve to eat healthier and get their bodies back into shape. However, as we all know, the festivities almost always mean rich food and excessive eating. Here are a few tips for staying fit this winter if you don't want to compete for the fitness equipment at your gym.

Take a class with a friend! Working out with a friend can often motivate you to get out from underneath the blanket. Pilates and Yoga are excellent low impact forms of exercise that strengthen and tone your body and can be done in your home or taken in a class setting. The primary focus of Pilates is toning the core muscles; that include the lower back, abs, and the stabilizing muscles. Piilates strengthens muscles without becoming bulky. Yoga increases flexibility, posture, and improves balance by stretching and bending. Another important benefit of Yoga is meditation. Whether reading a book, using an instructional DVD, or attending a class, elements of meditation, stress relief, and relaxation are always incorporated.

Keep it Fun! Another way to stay fit and warm this winter is pole dancing and strip tease workouts. In the last three years, many celebrities have said pole dancing is a spicy way to improve your fitness and create an incredible body. Pole dancing and strip tease workouts emphasize stretching, proper breathing, and toning of abs, chest muscles, and arms. These workouts have become increasing popular and can be done alone at home, or with friends there are a variety of books and DVDs.

Dance the pounds off! If you prefer fast-paced dance and high-energy music to stay in shape and beat the winter blues, look no further. Zumba is quickly becoming one of the most popular fitness crazes. Zumba is a dance workout that involves moving to energetic Latin music like salsa, merengue, and samba. The specific workout moves back and forth between toning, strengthening, and cardio. Because of this, Zumba is regarded as a very complete workout. Since Zumba has gained such popularity, classes are offered daily at most local gyms and there are wide selections of instructional DVDs that are made to use in the comfort of your home.

Stay Comfortable! There is a variety of new ways to work out at home. Many of these home workouts can be more interesting and complete than running on a treadmill or elliptical. The Wii Fit is one way. The Wii Fit offers games in strength training, Yoga, Aerobics, and balance. Not to worry, the Wii Fit does not simply take you through the motions; it gets to know your body. Before you begin your exercise, the program will prompt you to enter such personals as height, age, weight, and sex. Then you step on the balance board for your first weigh in. The Wii Fit can also be personalized to keep track of the user’s individual weight loss goals and Body Mass Index. Many of the Wii Fit activities are targeted toward strengthening core muscles as well as balance. The Wii Fit acts as a personal trainer for those who don’t feel like braving the cold and snow to exercise in a crowded gym.

Megan Gates is an outreach representative for Gym Source (gymsource.com) - a leading retailer of home gyms and various other fitness and exercise equipment. Megan contributes written work to the blogosphere related to health and fitness.