Running with a Life

Five fresh forms of indoor fitness

Don’t let cold weather put a chill on your fitness routine.

When the temperature plunges this winter, don’t let your motivation for exercise fall as well. Consider these five indoor fitness options, from the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

A real kick

Kickboxing uses martial arts in an aerobic class setting. Kickboxing is a high-intensity exercise that burns more than 300 calories per workout.

Participants need to take steps to avoid injury, particularly muscle strains and joint problems. If you’re a beginner, start slowly and work up to moves that are more complicated.

Off the deep end

A pool workout doesn’t have to be limited to endless back-and-forth laps, thanks to water aerobics and other pool-based classes.

Because the effects of gravity lessen in the water, a pool workout is easy on the joints. Water is also about 12 times denser than air. That increases resistance, so in addition to the cardiovascular benefits, you build strength moving through water.

While the pool can provide a workout at a high intensity with almost no impact, ACE offers two words of caution:

  • You still sweat, even in the pool, so drink before you feel thirsty to remain hydrated.
  • Because blood flows more easily when you’re in the water, your heart rate will be about 10 beats per minute lower than it would be using the same intensity on land.

What a racquet

Racquetball uses almost every muscle in your body, according to the U.S. Racquetball Association. Your heart rate stays high even when you stop between points.

With racquetball courts in nearly every Y, on many college campuses and in many health clubs, finding a place to play should be easy.

Climb the wall

Being forced indoors during the winter can make you feel like climbing the walls. But if your health club or local college features a specially designed climbing wall, that may be a good thing.

Scaling a 40-foot wall using only handholds and footholds can seem daunting. But even if you can’t do a single chin-up, you can try a climbing wall. Climbers always wear a safety harness. A partner on the other end of the rope is strapped in on the ground to keep any fall a short one. Climbing facilities will provide all the safety equipment and climbing shoes, although you may eventually want to buy your own shoes.

Spin cycle

If riding the stationary bike is getting old, you might want to try spinning. Spinning is the name for an instructor-led class on stationary bikes modified to give the feel of a mountain bike. The instructor takes you on a virtual ride, changing the speed and resistance.

Spinning tones the lower body, works your heart and lungs, and burns 380 to 500 calories per 45-minute class. ACE cautions that the classes can be high-intensity and are generally not for beginners.