Most doctors and health specialists recommend 5 hours of exercise, mostly cardio, per week. The only time in my life I ever got in 5 hours of cardio in a week when I used to party every weekend but who’s to say at the ripe old age of 26 that I cannot repeat this level of fitness?

Now, I must admit that I don’t know for certain that doctors recommend this (so many hours of exercise in one go, to clarify), but I do know that I have participated and these binge exercise activities, if you will, with no ill side effects besides maybe a crick in my neck from a party I might have gotten a little too wild at.   🙂   A little soreness will accompany almost any amount of exercise though, especially if you’re just getting back into the swing of things.

More Dancing

Not much of a club person? No worries. There are also options to go to a salsa or ballroom night. These also gives you the opportunity to dress fancy at least once a week into even include your significant other or friends so that you can all shimmy and Shake off the calories together. Many ballroom and salsa studios and clubs also offer lessons during the day or night so that even as a beginner, you can add some new moves to your dance night. Ballroom dancing is also a lot easier on the body than many other forms of dancing (which I know from personal experience as I have danced for 20 years) which makes it suitable for people of all ages. This is something that anyone can get into, so if you’ve ever had an interest in it, you should try it. It is some of the best fun you will ever have.

This is also an excellent opportunity to make a date night out of this outing. So, get dressed, put on your favorite lipstick and a pair of ballroom-friendly heels (or pack them in a bag), have a light meal with your significant other or friends (friends are good too!), and go dance until your feet fall off! You’ll have 6 days to recuperate before your next dance night!

Biking

I also recommend low-impact activities like bike riding. There have been random days where I have taken my bike out and gone all over the city (NYC) and have collectively ridden three or four hours in one day, and sometimes up to six. There are classes for cycling which can be fun, but usually only last an hour. Though I don’t knock anyone who enjoys this, stationary bikes are not for me. Those can also be found in most gyms if you wanted to try that accompanied by a good book or a banging playlist.

Skating

Roller skating and ice skating are good activities too though I cannot roller skate or ice skate to save my life, I always thoroughly enjoy myself when I go. There is little to compare to that hot burn of the shins and calves that skating on four wheeled skates will give you (because I cannot roller blade, at all!) Nearly every roller skating and ice skating rink I’ve been to sells access time to the rink in blocks of at least 3 hours each. In that amount of time, most people can skate long enough to feel sore for two weeks afterwards, burn hundreds of calories, and sweat buckets!

Hiking

I only go hiking during the warm time, but hiking is an activity that can be done year round if you want to Brave the elements or if you live someplace where the winters are not harsh. I generally plan out a hiking trip complete with a picnic basket or a backpack filled with food and snacks and make it a sort of all day thing. You can use this hiking day to also accomplish some work or read a book. I do this by hiking for a couple of hours until I get tired then taking a lunch or reading break when I find a clearing or a picnic table we’re just anywhere that looks comfortable to sit down. In this way, you can turn a day of exercise into a mini vacation.

This is also a great activity to do with friends or family. This gives you someone to talk to while you walk, if you can spare the breath. Talking during hiking is a trial for me, but I also don’t do well with jogging and talking, or dancing and talking, and basically any form of cardio and communication. screams in laughter This is also a good time to either listen to nature’s music or to a playlist of your own. I alternate between the two because a good long hike is an excellent time to think and clear your head.