Check it out! Unusual Fitness Activities in 2016
Everyone knows how important exercise is for our overall wellbeing. Still, many people tend to skip exercising especially during hectic days where exercise is seen less of a priority.
This is why fitness coaches come up with ingenious ways to attract more people towards keeping fit. The usual morning or night jogs, yoga sessions, and trips to the gym are effective, but there are times when things need to a little spicing up.
Here are some unusual fitness activities that have garnered column inches around the world:
Karaoke Workout
credit: NBC Washington
You’ve probably heard about or maybe participated in aerobic dance sessions, but there’s another kind of music-infused exercise program that’s a little bit more unusual doing the rounds. Karaoke workouts, as the name suggests, has participants singing while following lyrics on a screen. However unlike your traditional karaoke, this pursuit has people doing aerobic moves or operating a workout machine such as a stationary bike during songs.
Athletic Culture highlighted the benefits of this workout. Singing makes heavy use of your lungs and heart, which means you also get a cardio workout aside from burning calories. It also helps the mind focus away from fatigue given that participants will be focusing on the song they are singing. Most of all, it’s entertaining and helps reduces stress.
Vikings and Valkyries
photo credit: Maxim
If you’re into history and Norse culture, then how about trying to live the way Nordic seafarers did in the past? This is the concept behind Vikings and Valkyries, which Time Out London blog elaborates is a fitness regimen involving daily activities like carrying wooden barrels and pulling heavy objects.
SUP Yoga
credit: Pinterest - Robert Sturman
SUP or stand-up paddleboarding combined with yoga is a special kind of fitness program. Cosmopolitan shared one participant’s experience, and needless to say, it was extra challenging given that you have to perform numerous yoga positions while focusing on balancing to avoid falling in the water. On the plus side, it works out your body even more and focuses on your developing your core strength.
Some of these unique combinations won’t be the last innovative fitness programs we see enter the health and fitness industry in the coming years. Another example, albeit already popular, are color fun runs, which blend traditional marathons with the fun of getting splashed with colored water. But apart from exercise, there are many other kinds of activities that follow a similar formula to help extend the participation levels of the core sports.
In terms of hobbies, New Straits Times explored art jamming which combines painting with socializing in specially set up studios to inspire creativity and cooperation.
Another classic pastime is bingo, a very popular game that was in dire need of a revamp to attract younger players. It wasn’t until it was mixed with slots to create Slingo, a fresh spin on the two games, that bingo saw a rise in participation since the old bingo hall days of the 80s. It has also now been popularized through Facebook as well as through gaming portal Pocketfruity. The latter even livened up the game further by securing a collaboration with the hit game show Deal or No Deal to make Slingo appealing to fans of the show as well.
When it comes to traveling, Eazy Traveler sampled bike zippiness that combine the thrill of crossing ziplines with biking.
These are just a few examples of hybrid fitness pursuits and hobbies that may interest our readers. There are a ton out there to be discovered, you just have to keep your ear to the ground.
Have you tried other unusually combined fitness programs? Share your experiences in our comment section below.
