Great Exercises You Actually Want To Do

Take a break from your regular fitness routine that you may (or may not have, no shame) and give these easy yet effective workouts a try! You won’t even feel like you’re working out, but you’ll definitely see the results.

“The most ideal activities are ones that don’t feel like exercise,” notes San Diego’s Jessica Matthews, MS, certification director for the American Council on Exercise and an adjunct professor at Miramar College in the department of exercise science, health, and nutrition.

So switch up your routine this summer and try one of the below workouts – you won’t even feel like you’re working out, but you’ll still reap the fitness benefits.

Dance

Dance is another fun activity that also happens to offer one of the best workouts. You’ll burn calories whether you choose ballet, hip-hop, country-line, or ballroom dancing. Dance is an exercise that encourages creativity and moving your body freely. And, while you’re learning new moves, you’re also getting a great workout. “Depending on the intensity of your steps, dancing can burn between 130 and 250 calories per 30 minutes,” Matthews says.

Fitness Games

Any number of active video games, such as Dance Dance Revolution, Nintendo Wii, Wii Fit, and Dancetown, to name a few, can be included as part of a well-rounded exercise routine, Matthews says. And because video games are so much fun, you might not even realize that they’re helping you to stay fit — the hallmark of all the best workouts. How many calories you’ll burn depends on the workout game, but 30 minutes of Wii Boxing can burn 216 calories; whereas, 30 minutes of Wii Fit Free Fun or Island Run can burn 165.