If you are looking for a totally unconventional, very fun and EXTREMELY effective workout, I have two words for you: trampoline aerobics.
XTreme Trampolines in Buffalo Grove, IL, holds a trampoline aerobics class every Tuesday, and my friend Jen invited me to go. I was a little nervous (my coworker’s daughter recently needed surgery due to a trampoline accident and my insurance-agent father is forever pontificating on the dangers of trampolines), but I decided that I need to say yes to more things in life–and so I went.
We got there early to practice because we’d googled trampoline aerobics videos and were sort of traumatized. As we watched teenagers leap and flip and tumble, as though their bodies weighed mere ounces and were made of rubber, we struggled to figure out how to fall on our butts and leap back up (okay, *I* struggled. Jen got the hang of it quickly!). 10 minutes in, I was pooped, and class hadn’t even started.
Five minutes into class, I was FEELING it. And, um, so was my bladder. I have no idea how all of these moms were jumping gleefully away when this non-parent had to sneak off to the bathroom five minutes in.
Once that small matter was taken care of, I got back into jumping…and jumping….and jumping. It was quite a workout. We read that you can burn 1,000 calories during one class, and I believe it! We did regular jumps (as high as you could go), jumps where you thrust your legs out horizontally in front of you, jumps where you tuck your knees in like a cannonball dive, jumping jacks, jumps where you raise your legs like you’re doing the splits, etc., etc. We also got down on the tramps to do pushups, burpees, squats and more.
Whew!
If you are getting bored with your usual routine, I highly recommend investigating whether you have a trampoline aerobics class near you! Bring a towel and lots of water–and be sure to pee before you get started. 🙂
startingthisminute.wordpress.com 