Global Sports: Incorporating Gym Sports To Your Workout Routine

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Incorporating Gym Sports To Your Workout Routine

By William Douglas


For the majority of people who exercise, at some point you hit a point where your workout can become boring. It can feel monotonous doing a lot of the same exercises over and over again on the same machines. This kind of a frustration can sometimes lead to people not going to the gym as much as they normally should. But by adding an element of fun and a little bit of variety in the form of gym sports to your routine, you can avoid that.

I define a 'gym sport' as a sport oriented activity that I can add to my workout at the gym. Not all gyms will have the facilities for all of these activities, so it is always a good idea to do a bit of research before joining your gym. Luckily, my gym has most of the facilities I need to play some of my favorite fitness sports. But for those that they don't have, like a tennis court, I looked around a bit and found free courts located across the street from the high school in my town. They are free at all times as long as the high school's team isn't practicing.

Of all the many sports you can add to your routine, my favorite so far has been basketball. The amount of running you do around the court is a tremendous aerobic exercise. Your legs are worked from jumping and your arms are exercised from dribbling in passing. The past few weeks, I've been taking the time I would've spent on the elliptical machine and spend it on the court instead playing with a few members of my gym who play as well.

Another intense aerobic gym sport is racquetball. You are never standing still because you are following that racquetball all over the court. The game is fast paced, energetic and fun! Its also a great alternative to tennis during colder months.

For some reason, I never try any of my gyms classes and dismissed him as a viable workout option. When I finally gave in and tried my gyms kickboxing class because I was extremely bored while exercising on a treadmill. I was on the verge of leaving and saw the class was beginning and had a few vacant spots. I couldn't be happier that I gave the class a shot, as it is now a part of my weekly workout regimen. Depending on what kind of classes your gyms offer, your class may have bags for kicking and punching or the class may be just hitting the air. Either one is an effective workout.

Tennis courts are hard to come by at most gyms, but some larger ones may have a few indoor courts to play on. Like I mentioned earlier, I found courts near my town's high school that I use from time to time. If it is a beautiful day and I don't feel like being cooped up in a gym or racquetball court, tennis is a great option for a gym sport. Even by myself, I can hit balls off of a wall for a nice little workout. You really feel it in your arms and shoulders then next day, that's for sure!

Try to add one or all of these gym sports into your exercise plan and see how you feel. Sometimes it can be better to preemptively strike before you are bored and add fun elements your workout. Down the line, if you want to add more of a focused fitness elements your life, consider purchasing some cheap home fitness equipment. Be safe, have fun and good luck!




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