I hate treadmills. From the dissatisfaction of not traveling any actual distance to the din of florescent lights, there’s just something about pounding the rubber tread that leaves a workout feeling more like punishment.
The thought of spending the winter months locked on the abysmal machine is enough to drive any outdoor running enthusiast insane, so for this week’s seven days I decided to explore the different fitness classes Longwood offers in hopes of finding a workout more enjoyable than the human hamster-wheel.
The first two days of my venture into the world of fitness classes were cardio-heavy, as I figured it would be the easiest adjustment from my usual pattern of running and biking. It was not.
The fast-paced combinations set to heart-pumping music in Kick-boxing class resulted in a few self-inflicted elbows to the face, and the equally rapid pace of lifting and squatting in Body Pump left me waddling on my weak legs for days.
It was a blast. While the workouts were some of the most challenging I’d ever tried, there was an unspoken camaraderie between all of the class attendees that made pushing through that much easier (read: it’s okay to sweat a lot when everybody’s dripping).
Perhaps the most motivating aspect of the classes, though, was the instructors; through the physical pain and fatigue of the class, they remained unfailingly positive, and brought contagious energy that the class seemed to feed on as we reached the last few sets.
The remaining days, I tried to focus on core toning. First I tried the Ab Attack class, and in just thirty short minutes, realized the name should be read more as a warning than a cute moniker. The constant contracting of my abdominal muscles was both empowering, knowing how good of a workout it was, and frightening, knowing how difficult getting out of bed the next day would be (it was brutal).Thinking it’d be a bit of a break from the intensity of the previous classes, I headed into Zumba, only to face just how out of shape I really was.
My strict adherence to running and biking had apparently left many muscles neglected, which became apparent to all in attendance when my attempt to follow the Latin-style dance moves ended up looking like a baby deer learning to walk. Once again, however, the instructors of both classes brought explosive energy to the workouts, making it easy to push through and, dare I say, enjoy the experience.
Taking these classes enlightened me to a world of possibility; while running can be enjoyable, there’s just something about sweating with strangers that brings a whole new level of energy and fun to a workout, and arguably makes one push harder than they would working out solo.
I’ve certainly never hurt after a few miles the way Body Pump left my muscles wasted…in a good way. The classes also worked more muscle groups than running or biking alone did, and having them weekly makes it easier to plan and commit to working out. Most importantly, it beat running on a treadmill.
