One of the huge perks of my job is that I get exposed to many different forms of exercise on a regular basis. A couple weeks ago, we offered a free Intro to Tai Chi class, so I decided to try it out myself. I can't say that it was my thing, but I'm glad I gave it a try. Going into the class, I knew that Tai Chi was done at a super-slow pace, but for me, it was to the point where I kept glancing at the clock wondering when the 45-minute session would be over. I'm more of a high-impact, fast-paced exerciser. I do also really enjoy yoga, but although yoga is slow, you leave feeling completely stretched out and mentally centered. Tai Chi was too slow to burn calories or break a sweat, it doesn't involve a flexibiliy component, and the step patterns felt so awkward to a beginner that I didn't gain the stress relief benefits either. I will say that I can see how Tai Chi would be an excellent form of exercise for senior citizens or for people coming off the heels of a major injury. The slow movements really force you to focus on balance and shifting body weight from foot to foot in a smooth manner.
Next, that same week, I had the opportunity to try out a Hot Yoga class. I've been taking advantage of the free classes that All People Yoga Center offers the second Saturday of every month. Aside from the room being set at a really high temperature (and there being 40-some people crammed in the room, mat to mat), the style of yoga was a more vigorous vinyasa where you move with each breath you take. I can't even count how many sun salutations we did, complete with the plank-->crocodile-->upward dog-->downward dog. If you've done even 5 rounds of this series, you know what a workout it is for the shoulders and triceps! Again, since I prefer more of the high-energy workouts, I liked the class. Being a 90-minute class, everyone had points where they had to stop and take a breather or modify the pose. It felt weird at first to sweat that much during yoga, and it got to the ponit where my mat felt slippery, especially when we were doing 1-legged poses. But, by the end of the class, I really felt like I got a great workout in AND my muscles felt 100 times looser than when I first walked in. I wouldn't want to do hot yoga all the time, because I also love the restorative yoga classes where the majority of the time is spent relaxing into deep stretches and holding for several breaths. There's something amazing about those bolsters and lavendar eye pillows. :) It just goes to show you that there is a form of yoga for everyone!
Next, at work we started up a new aerobics class called "Dance Central." This class follows the Xbox Kinect game of the same name. What happens is my co-worker is the one actually linked to the Kinect with her body motions, then everyone else follows her. It breaks down a dance, step by step, until you put it all together in the end. It's fun for me to see skills in other instructors that I don't necessarily have. While I am confident in my teaching abilities for boot camp, strength, cycle and yoga, classes that involve a high level of coordination like dance and step, aren't my thing. I'm great at keeping rhythm, but that's about it. My co-worker is just an awesome dancer and knows how to shout out cues so people really are following along and not feeling overwhelmed with choreography. Talk about a fun workout! Now, any time I hear the songs "Poker Face" or "Evacuate the Dance Floor," I immediately want to bust out my new dance moves! :)
Anybody can break out of an exercise rut if you only look around and are open to new things!
