Fun Local Fitness Ideas for People Who Hate to Workout

I hate to break it to you, but walking to get your mid afternoon coffee everyday doesn’t exactly count as exercise. I think everyone can agree that the best workouts are those where you don’t even feel like you’re working out at all. 5 minutes on the elliptical starts to feel more and more like a solid 45, and having the same workout routine everyday is a complete drag. Lucky for you, there are plenty of alternatives out there to spice up your #fitnesslife. From some of the hottest new fitness trends to the oldest exercise trend invented (good ol’ walking) we put together a list of local Hartford fitness classes that are intimidating free and will get you closer to that toned model-esque body you’ve been dreaming of.

Barre Class

Where: Hartford Sweat, Pure Barre

Put pilates, dance, yoga and some motivating music into a blender and what do you get? Barre class! Many people think that in order to join a barre class, you have to have ballet experience. Luckily for you, barre class takes no prior dancing experience or fitness expertise. All you need to be able to do is hold onto a ballet barre. Easy enough.

Barre Class is a great way to focus in and tone those areas that people have the most trouble with.. (arms, thighs, stomach and that tush) while creating long lean muscle. It’s also low impact so you don’t have to worry about sweat dripping down from every inch of your body.

Tip: purchase some sticky socks on your feet to avoid slipping.

Yoga

Where: Hartford Sweat

Yoga is an excellent way for you to clear your mind after a busy workday while stretching and toning your entire body. Hartford offers some great yoga classes for all interests and fitness levels. Beautiful day outside? Check out Yoga Flow on the River – free yoga on the Riverfront every Wednesday.

Kickboxing

Where: Plus One Defense

If you’re more of the type who likes a good sweat and often feel like you have some end of the day anger that you need to get out.. kickboxing is for you.

Don’t let the name intimidate you – kickboxing is hella fun, and before you know it the 60 minutes are up and you’ve had a full body workout. Also, after the class is over you feel pretty kick ass (because you can now kick some ass). Kickboxing classes double as both a total body workout and self defense. The classes are always a little different so you’re never doing the same workout routine.

Zumba

Where: Hartford Sweat, Wicked Z Dance & Fitness

Ever find yourself jammin’ out in your bedroom dancing to the beat of your favorite song? Well that’s pretty much Zumba for you. Zumba songs are set up so you’re going from high intensity to low in order to get your intervals in (intervals are what burns that extra “cushion”). In fact, the average person burns 600-1,000 calories during a Zumba class – that’s 90 minutes of you slaying away on the elliptical.

Besides being a great cardiovascular workout, Zumba is proven to tone your entire body. That’s because your dance moves were designed to include some squats here and there… sneaky huh?

Hiking

Where: Heublein Tower, West Hartford Reservoir

If you’re up for a little drive, the Heublein Tower (Talcott Mountain Park) provides a great view of Simsbury. The tower is often open to the public so you can go right to the top and get an amazing view of the area. The trail is 1.25 miles long and takes about 35 minutes to get to the top. Have some energy? Do sprints on your way up and down. Otherwise, enjoy a nice stroll with some breathtaking scenery at the top and along the way.

Also check out West Hartford Reservoir. Filled with paved paths, beautiful ponds, reservoirs and lots of greenery, each one of the trails is great for a run or a stroll. The paths are pretty steady the whole time so you don’t have to worry about climbing up any serious hills. And hey, there’s even a lane for all you bikers out there.

Be sure to check out the local Hartford fitness class schedules to see if you find anything you’re interested in and make sure you take advantage of any free classes or trials to take a test run!