Who said dancing doesn't burn calories?

Spin class, jogging, elliptical trainer, kickboxing, boot camp...think those are the only cardio options to burn major calories? Well you are wrong! Cardio dance is a super fun way to burn calories and have a blast while doing it. In fact, during my Zumba class this past Tuesday I burned 684 calories during the 60-minute class and then another 125 during the hour after-burn. Yes you burn lots of calories even after you stop working out! So my hour of booty-shaking (and after-burn) yielded a deficit of 809 calories!

Granted my class can be higher intensity than many Zumba classes, but I guarantee whomever you take a class from, you will have a lot more fun than you do on the treadmill!

If you are like me, 10 minutes on the treadmill can feel like absolute TORTURE! I look at the timer every 30 seconds and feel like the minutes creep by. But I can do two back-to-back dance classes and 120 minutes fly by! Why is that? Well it's because the music is great, I'm having fun, and my mind is off the burn and 100% focused on me!

Dance is in my blood. It's true, but anyone can follow the choreography. It all repeats and is more about fun than having the right technique. Move, move, move!

There are so many great fitness options out there. You just have to find the right one for you. Maybe it's Zumba. Give it a shot - whether it is with me or another awesome Zumba instructor.

And this weekend is All Access Weekend. Everyone is Welcome! That's right this weekend at 24 Hour Fitness, you can bring a friend or family member for free! Check out a class and it just could change your life - or at least the way that you look at exercise!

The Skinny Mom: Tip #4 - Shake it on the Playground

Sunday is "Funday." All the hustle and bustle of Saturday (running errands, hitting the gym and cleaning) are all done. Sunday is family day.

And today my family is going to the park. Hooray! Baby E has so much fun at the park now that he is mobile. Too much fun!

Anyway, I found that the park or playground can be the BEST place for kids to run off energy, get exercise AND for Mom to burn some extra calories! I just found myself naturally running around and scooping up Baby E, going down slides and playing peek-a-boo. After our playground sessions I am drenched with sweat and breathless. So, I thought it would be fun to share a playground work out with you!

Tag You Are It
Generally jungle gyms have a circular area around them. Try playing "tag" with your little one or just chasing them around the perimeter of the area. When you "catch" your little one, scoop them up and do 5-10 mini jumps with them. Baby E LOVES it when I do little jumps with him in my arms. This is sort of our celebration together.


Repeat this 10 times.

Slide Baby Slide
At the playground that I go to, there are about 6 different sized slides. Since E is still pretty little, I scoop him up, run up the stairs to the slide and hold him in my lap while we slide down. Then repeat. Kids LOVE doing things over and over! If your child is too big to run with and go down the slide, then chase them down the slide.

Repeat this slide routine on all slides 10 times.

Playground Push-ups
My Boot Camp classes know that I L-O-V-E push-ups. I think it is just about the BEST exercise for total upper-body toning. To do these at the playground, find a platform area that is waist high and place your hands shoulder-width apart on top. Keep your feet about four feet away from the platform with elbows straight. Keep body straight and slowly bend your elbows until your chest almost touches the platform. Then push back up to straight and repeat, repeat, repeat.

I like to do a set after each of the above cardio exercises. Tighten your ab muscles for even more toning. For me this is best to do when E is back in his stroller or Daddy is pushing him in a swing (since E is still in the 100% supervision stage).

Do 4 sets of 25.

Slide Lunges
Get in the lunge position at the bottom of a slide. Put your back toe on the top of the slide. And lunge away. Just make sure that no child is going to slide into you! I like to put Baby E on my non-slide mounted leg. He is still little enough to do this and thinks it is amazing fun. And holy moly that extra 25 pounds makes these a major toner! If your child is too big for that, you can always do this while they play nearby.



Do 3 sets of 20 on each leg.

Monkey Bar Toning
If your child can play safely by themselves (or with other kids) try doing the monkey bars. Hello toning for your arms. If this is a major challenge, try spelling the word "BANANA" as you go across. Each new bar is a new letter. Try to at least spell this word three times. Who says Momma can't play silly word games?



Race you to the...
For older kids, try playing a racing game. Even little mobile kiddos will enjoy this, but you don't necessarily get to run as fast and have to maybe hold their hand as you go. Find a destination about 20-50 feet away and race to that spot. You can play "I spy" this way, too. "I spy the green slide." Then you race your child to that spot. So fun!

Baby E - My Personal Trainer
Kids find amazing ways to play! Try just running around after them and doing what they do - climb, slide, jump, crawl and run. Use your child as a "personal trainer." They will likely getting you sweating!



Set a Good Example
I am a huge proponent of teaching children to be active at all ages. When they see Mom and Dad doing active things and leading a healthy lifestyle, they are learning good habits for life. My mission is for Baby E to love exercise so much that he continues this once he is grown up and as he starts a family of his own!

Happy Sunday Funday!