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Think Outside the Exercise Box

Jul 12, 2016

Whether you love it or hate it, exercise plays a vital role in maintaining good health and well-being. It can prevent disease, reduce stress, balance mood and control weight. Exercise is an important component of our ZEN Project 8™ program. ZEN Brand Ambassador Mark Macdonald recommends 2–3 days a week of strength training combined with 2 days a week of fat-burning cardio.

Are you looking for ways to make exercise a bigger part of your life? You could try the standard types of exercise — running, walking, biking or lifting weights. These are tried-and-true methods, but maybe these exercise routines don’t appeal to you. And that’s okay! There are plenty of other ways to get in a strength training or cardio workout.

Think outside the exercise box and consider these other methods:

Yoga (strength training)
Some types of yoga focus on breathing, meditation and relaxation. Some are more strenuous, focusing on flowing from one pose to another, creating heat within your body and elevating your heart rate. Others use external heat and a particular sequence of poses. Some are a combination. All types encourage beginners to give it a try.




Pilates (strength training)
While there are many similarities between yoga and Pilates, the latter tends to be more focused on strengthening the body’s core and alignment and doesn’t focus as much on the breath work that is often present during yoga practices. Read about the differences between yoga and Pilates here.




Zumba (fat-burning cardio)
Zumba is a high-energy fitness routine that incorporates dance moves and music into (typically) a one-hour workout. If you love dancing and working up a sweat, this might be the workout for you. Zumba lovers say that it’s a workout that is perfect for all ages and all fitness levels.




As with any workout, be sure to give it a solid effort, but try to find something that you look forward to. After all, if you are going to make exercise part of your regular routine, you should try to find something you truly enjoy!