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Switch Up Your Daily Workout

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Jacquelyn Little
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Rachael Brandt
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCD chapter.
It can be hard dragging yourself to the gym for the same workout: run on the treadmill for twenty-five minutes, work the arms for twenty, abs for another twenty. After a while, your usual routine becomes monotonous. Not only does it get extremely boring, it is, actually, counter productive to the goal you are trying to achieve. By doing the same exercise each day, the body gets used to the workout and after a while, there is no effect on the muscles[1]. So here are a few ways to step outside of the gym and switch up your daily workout to something fun and challenging.

Zumba is a high-energy, Latin-inspired, cardio dance class which combines the styles of Salsa, Merengue, Mambo, Flamenco, Reggaeton, Belly Dancing, Hip-hop and the Tango. Zumba is a fun way to get your hour of cardio in and this hour of non-stop dancing will definitely get your heart pumping. You will be surprised what parts of your body will be sore the next day. Classes are available at the ARC, led by student instructors. While you are checking out the class schedule for Zumba, make sure to look at the other classes- such as cycling, pilates, and Turbo kick! ARC Class Schedule

Bikram Yoga, more commonly known as “hot yoga”, is one of the more difficult, yet rewarding of all of the workouts out there. In a session of Bikram, you spend 90 minutes in a room heated to 105 degrees. The heat of the room allows your muscles to stretch further than you can under normal conditions- increasing your flexibility.During these 90 minutes, you will sweat profusely- eliminating toxins and fully cleansing your body (reminder- prior to attending a class you must drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. Otherwise it is common to feel light-headed). Continuing your practice of Bikram will tone, lengthen and strengthen muscles. Bikram is definitely a test of endurance, but you leave the studio feeling better than ever. Check out the Davis studio on L St. or visit their website to look up class times http://www.bikramdavis.com/.



Rock Climbing is the most fun you will have working out your upper body strength, but, trust me, it’s a lot harder than it looks. Along with toning your arms, rock climbing improves your balance, flexibility and coordination. Before you invest in the pass, feel free to try it out during “Try Before you Buy” week at the ARC, starting the week after Spring Break. You will soon get hooked!
 
Don’t forget that variation is the best way to keep your muscles active and get the body that you want. So instead of going to the gym five days a week, try switching two of those days for a class at the ARC and another one for going on a long bike ride. It will make working out and staying healthy fun instead of a chore!

[1] http://www.buzzle.com/articles/muscle-confusion-workouts.html
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Rachael Brandt is your typical collegiette. Her free time, you'll find her roaming the CoHo, nourishing her hourly caffeine fix or rocking out at the campus rec center in Zumba class. Rachael has interned at Acosta/Salazar PR firm in Sacramento, CA --working with politicians and interest groups to aide their campaigns. She now spends her days working at the Events and Conferencing Center, in hopes of saving up for the many goodies she hopes to acquire while studying abroad next year. After cultivating an obsession for Her Campus, she opened the UC Davis branch, and now serves as campus correspondant.