3 Enjoyable Workouts for People Who Hate Working Out

Danielle Acoff is a professional dancer, model, actress, and yoga instructor with a passion for holistic health. She has worked in entertainment for 12 years and uses yoga, meditation, and her love of all things movement to keep her balanced in a high-pressure industry. Keep an eye out for her articles about everything from self-care to developing a home practice to fitness tips and more. 

Every doctor (and human) will agree that regular exercise is a critical component of healthy living. Well, summer is quickly approaching, and if you’re like me, the thought of pedaling at a wall in a gym is not enough motivation to get there. Luckily, I've found the solution: Trick your mind and body into exercising with these fun and challenging classes that will make you forget you’re working out. Who knows? You may even develop a new hobby or passion. 

Aerial Hoop Class

The benefits:

• Improves upper-body strength by targeting your core and upper body
• Releases tension in the muscles and joints when upside down, and also releases all those happy endorphins
• Burns 300 to 500 calories in an hour

My class pick: Aeroform Arts

The review: Walking in, I immediately felt like I had run away with the circus (in a good way) with hoops and other apparatuses hanging from the ceilings and a room next door full of blue gymnastics mats. We started the class with a slow warm-up on the floor and proceeded to the hoops. The child in me was ready to swing around, but then we lined up, and one by one, we started heavy-duty conditioning! Hanging from hoops still low to the floor, we began shoulder, arm, and core workouts using the hoop. Then, on to the fun stuff. We were taught level-appropriate moves and linked them together in a hoop flow combination. I loved every second of it! My first hoop class already had me feeling like a pro; feeling weightless and spinning in circles was more exciting than I could’ve imagined. I definitely gained a new love of aerial arts and have added it into my weekly workout. 

Dance Cardio

The benefits:

• Full-body intense muscle conditioning with music propels you to burn more calories.
• Constant cardio is the perfect way to create long, lean muscle. 
• It improves cardiovascular endurance and stamina.

My class pick: Swerve Studios

The review: How can you say no to starting your day with a dance party? When I first got to the class, I looked around and saw women of all ages, from a beautiful a pregnant woman to a teacher who was full to the brim of energy. As I looked around at everyone's smiling faces and surprising grooves, I realized dance is something we all did as children, so why not bring that joy back and burn the calories all in the same hour? I walked in, dropped my bags, and followed along (maybe lip-synced) for a full hour of nonstop moves, and walked out beaming and bobbing my head. Cardio dance for the win!

Trampoline

Benefits:

• Most proven method of eliminating cellulite 
• Facilitates natural detoxification 
• Builds lower-body power and strength (think beautiful legs and buns)

My class pick: Body by Simone 

The review: Let me start by saying, the studio is absolutely beautiful. There's nothing like a beautiful studio to get you in the mood for class. I walked to my trampoline in the middle of the class and noticed it was a lot lighter than I expected, and right away, I had the urge to jump up and down like a 5-year-old. The class starts with a simple, upbeat, dance-inspired warm-up off the trampoline. The great music selection makes the warm-up feel like a class in itself! While you would think jumping up and down would suffice, you actually get to dance and jump along to a class that makes your heart race. The trampoline protects your joints all while you're jumping and breaking a sweat with a smile on your face! This class is the ultimate cardio without you even noticing how hard you're working. 

Join THE/THIRTY’s Facebook group, and tell us your favorite workout that puts you in the best mood!