Fitness Without the "Dumb" Weights

There's a lot to be said for weight resistance training - but some of us are just bored with dumbbells and repetitive movement.

Try these alternatives to invigorate your fitness lifestyle:

Upper body:

1. Do the gumby dance with Rubber Bands.

I get bored with repetitive moves here too - so I make it stupid and it gets fun! You can break up repetitive moves like a bicep curl and pretend you're working with more resistance. I pretend to be a Gumby mime artist, doing the same movements with extra resistance. The bands are great for improvising with, so combine your different movements to see how you can break the routine.

2. Use 1pd, 3pd or 5pd weighted balls also known as dancer's balls.

These balls fit in your hands and you can dance with them - but gently - so you don't throw out your arm joints! Try this activity - slow arm circles while sitting and lying, feel where you arm collapses, falters of feels weak. Now take the ball around your weak spot and see how you can integrate your abs into making the movement stronger. Try not to overwork your weak spot as this can cause muscle fatigue. The intention is to find how your abs and back can shift to SUPPORT the arm movement, rather than using your arm to do all the work.

3. Use the weighted balls while sitting on a fitness ball.

This makes it more interesting and challenging for your muscles and mind to balance. Do the arm rotations slowly and enjoy the massage of your joints. It's not all about muscle - your tendons and joints need to feel some juice moving through them too. You can use the balls to do arm stretches and reaches and create your own dance and stretch.

Lower Body and cardio combinations:

The legs act as a pump for the blood to return back to the heart. So find activities that are not repetitive to activate your heart and muscle health.

4. Boot camp training.

You can sign up for a weekly training that gets you playing games and doing physical activities you would not do unless someone you "forces" you to do them. These activities get you playing as if you're in the play ground - walking, running, jumping and balancing through obstacle courses, running up and down hills. Having some one yelling at you to do different activities activates the muscles and brain to fire in new ways, which stimulates the metabolism like crazy. Make sure you are not forced to do activities beyond your limit.

5. Game Days with the Kids. (Or just adults if you wish!)

If you have kids, you can play great activities that involve them too. Does anyone remember the old jumping sack race, three legged race and egg and spoon race? These are great activities for co-coordinating brain and muscle strength that challenge and increase your metabolism. Ball games and frisbee are always a great way to challenge your brain and muscle coordination as well.

6. Hiking.

Getting out in the out doors makes "working out" a pleasure and gives you the oxygen you're starved of in a gym and in air conditioning. Hiking also challenges the muscles and metabolism to fire in different ways that will only increase the need for more muscle cells and increase metabolism.

Combo workouts - Whole body:

7. Clean out the garden.

OK - I always resented doing the weeding in the garden. But these days a good session of pruning, weeding and breaking up garden waste involves every muscle group you could imagine. If you don't have a garden - you probably have a friend who does and they will love you for thinking about them!

8. Martial Arts.

There is nothing as deflating as trying to do a series of 10 kicks and realizing you have another 100 or so to go. Be warned that some martial arts training has no sympathy for the faint hearted. The kicking practice and warm ups of Kung Fu is the best way to activate the power and integration of your leg muscles. The warm up kicks will give you more control over your leg muscles that using a machine in the gym or even your good old leg lunges. Leg lunges are great but only work on balancing joints and muscles in stationary position. Once you start using kicks, you activate your core muscles, your guts and your attitude.

9. Qi Gong

For beginners find a tai chi class that gets you to do real slow form (Wu style) that activates your legs. For the more gung-ho, try fast form. Qi gong classes are also great low intensity ways to activate your legs and core as well as balance your blood pressure and breathing at the same time. You will be surprised how this slow form can tone your whole body.

10. Start Bouncing!

A good bouncing trampoline or "rebounder" with the right spring balance will tone all your muscles, inside and out. Dave Hall has created a mini-trampoline called "cellercise" which has springs with the right rebound so you avoid jarring the body and spine. Bouncing and balancing on a rebounder wakes up the core muscles, stirs up the body fat and invigorates lymph, blood vessels, organs, bones, skin and hormonal system.

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