Shakin' it up....

Exercise should be, first and foremost, FUN (as well as safe and effective). Otherwise the motivation to do it is zip. In addition to interval training and yoga (both of which I love), I have recently joined the world-wide dance craze of Zumba. Much like technology, I have joined as a very late adopter. I resist fads and trends, or at least try to. I was slightly embarrassed for my sister when she told me she took it up years ago. But when she  took me to a class earlier this year I walked away eager to do more. Why? It was so much FUN!! And it was something different. Moving my body in ways that it hasn't moved in years. Shaking things up a bit.

If you like dancing, popular music and working up a sweat, then you'll probably love this. It has all of the benefits of dancing in a nightclub without any of the seedy, smoky drawbacks. The dance steps can be fairly complicated, which I actually relish, because when you nail the routine- co-ordinating different body parts to music at the same time- it feels awesome.

It's also cheap ($7 per 1 hour class for a block of 20), convenient (it takes me 5 mins to walk to Tamarama surf club) and I get to look at this view out the window when dancing:

Class timetable and price list is below.

How do I fit it all in? With difficulty. It seems that when I prioritise one thing, something else (like sleep and admin!) slips by the wayside. At the moment it's 2 Zumba classes a week, 3 interval training classes a week and 30 mins of yoga most nights at home after kids have gone to bed. I find this combination of movement is a really nice balance of co-ordination, aerobic fitness, strength, speed and flexibility. For me, the more movement I do in winter the more it keeps feeling cold at bay and the better my circulation (and head space). I'm not drawn to doing so much exercise in summer as it too hot, I feel naturally more chipper when the weather is warmer and  I want to spend more time just hanging out at the beach.

I've written about the benefits of interval training here, here and here if you want to know more about that and where to train. And check out my previous blog here on ideas on how to keep kids active over winter. 

How are you shaking things up?

Small group training at Primal Fitness

Want to shed some unwanted holiday weight gain? I'd like to tell you about small group training classes I do at the gym I go to in Double Bay. Primal Fitness (Suite 1, Level 1 Royal Arcade, 401 New South Head Road)  is giving you the benefits of personal training for less than $50 per week. This is certainly the most economical (and for me, fun) way to train.

The Small Group Training sessions involve:

* 2 sessions per week at fixed times (sessions 45-55mins)

* 6 week block of commitment

* maximum 6 people per group

* fun, challenging workouts categorized for your ability (focusing on high intensity strength training and interval training ie short bursts of intense workouts punctuated with breaks).

Groups to choose from (min 3 people to confirm the group going ahead):

Tues/Thurs 6am- Next group starts Tuesday 29^th January 2013

Tues/Thurs 12 noon – Next group starts Tuesday 5^th February 2013 (this is the group that I will be joining)

Mon/Weds 1pm – proposed group to start Monday 4^th February

Or create your own- min 3 people to get started.

Cost is $49.50 per week (incl GST) for 6 week commitment (Total $297).

Hope to see you there!