by N Zinser

Created on: May 20, 2009

There are many alternatives to walking that are an interesting and fun addition to any workout. A vigorous exercise program is essential to good health. However, many people give up exercise because of boredom with the same old routine. There is nothing worse than looking at your workout time with dread - it's important to mix up your exercise schedule, not only to keep yourself interested, but also to work different muscles.

Yoga

Yoga is exercise that originated in the far east, as a form of spiritual, mental, and physical strength training and stretching. The word itself is Sanskrit for "to control" or "to unite". The stretches may seem at first to be not that strenuous, but going through a yoga workout is definitely not easy. The benefits of yoga are undeniable: it can be used for strength training, an effective form of pain relief, stress reduction, weight loss, increasing flexibility, and improving your muscle tone. An increase in yoga's popularity has made this form of exercise accessible to anyone. It's something you can do from the comfort of your own home, or even at your local gym.

Elliptical Training

Elliptical training is a similar form of exercise to walking, but this exercise works more muscles than walking alone does. An elliptical is a machine that simulates the exercise of walking, but at a lower impact - making this an ideal workout for people who would like to exercise, but have leg or knee trouble. Ellipticals can be a mild or a vigorous cardio workout, depending on the setting of the trainer. And while ellipticals can be costly, they can be purchased for as low as $200.

Pilates

Pilates is another relatively new workout on the scene. It was developed as a combination of the stretching aspects of yoga and the cardiovascular benefits of aerobics. Many aspects of Pilates does seem to be more related to yoga; it is focused on breathing, centering, as well as muscle control. There are six aspects that make up the focus of the Pilates workout - centering, control, flow, breath, precision, and concentration. The goals behind Pilates are flexibility, muscle tone, as well as strengthening your abdomen and back (known as core strengthening).

These are only a few examples of different excercises you can do instead of walking. There are many different ways to get a good cardiovascular or aerobic workout, the key is to mix up your workout schedule to keep it interesting!

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