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New Exercises For Fitness: Activities That'll Keep The Blood And Excitement Flowing

Out-Of-The-Ordinary Exercises That'll Get You Pumped
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR MERRELL - Aidan Aquino, ten year old from Jackson, CA, exits a mud pit during the Matchbox one mile race Sponsored by Paul Mitchell at the Merrell Down & Dirty National Mud and Obstacle Series Presented by Subaru, at Folsom Lake State Recreation Area in Sacramento, CA, on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. The race included military obstacles, running, wading through water, crawling into mud and scaling a wall covered with soap. This was the largest children's race in U.S.A. with approximately 500 in today's race. (Nathan Bilow/AP Images for Merrell)
AP
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR MERRELL - Aidan Aquino, ten year old from Jackson, CA, exits a mud pit during the Matchbox one mile race Sponsored by Paul Mitchell at the Merrell Down & Dirty National Mud and Obstacle Series Presented by Subaru, at Folsom Lake State Recreation Area in Sacramento, CA, on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. The race included military obstacles, running, wading through water, crawling into mud and scaling a wall covered with soap. This was the largest children's race in U.S.A. with approximately 500 in today's race. (Nathan Bilow/AP Images for Merrell)

Bored with traditional recreational sports like softball, soccer and hockey? You’re in luck, because it’s easier than ever to spice up your sweat sessions thanks to a host of new nontraditional sports options popping up lately.

From filthy mud runs to heart-pumping urban scavenger hunts and everything in between, you’ll never be able to use the ‘I’m bored’ excuse to get out of being active again. So grab a friend and give one of these way-out-of-the-ordinary activities a try. Even if it doesn’t prove to be your thing, at least you’re guaranteed to wind up with a good story!

The New Ways We're Staying Fit. Slideshow text follows for mobile readers.

Scavenger Hunt

The New Ways We're Staying Fit

Urban Scavenger Hunts:

Events like Toronto’s City Chase and Vancouver’s The RUSH send teams racing across the city deciphering clues to track down scavenger hunt items before their competitors. Since it’s a race, time will fly by and you’ll have snuck in a great workout before you know it!

Boot Camps:

You don’t need to enlist to reap the calorie-torching benefits of military-style boot camps. These popular classes have sprouted up everywhere, and are particularly ubiquitous in the summer when classes move outdoors. Expect plenty of push-ups and lots of running. Army fatigues are optional.

CrossFit:

Once the exclusive domain of professional athletes and police academies, CrossFit has now entered the mainstream. The intense strength and conditioning program includes everything from gymnastics and rope climbing to sprinting and rowing. You might even wind up flipping a few tires for good measure.

Mud Runs:

If traditional obstacle courses and marathons bore you, why not throw in some mud to mix things up? Mud runs are becoming increasingly popular as more and more people seek out adventurous fitness alternatives. Mud runs typically entail muddy trail runs lined with obstacles such as hay bales and tires – and most contain a mud pit at some point along the journey. And yes, you will get dirty. Very dirty.

Frisbee Golf:

If golf is too sedate and Ultimate Frisbee is a bit too extreme for your taste, Frisbee Golf just might be your happy medium. The fun new activity fuses the two sports together, with the objective being to throw a Frisbee into a specially designed receptacle. To up your heart rate, you can try running each time you fetch your Frisbee.

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA):

You may not be the next Ultimate Fighter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work out like one. More and more gyms are offering group classes inspired by MMA. Expect plenty of kicking and punching. But don’t worry – these classes don’t entail actual combat, so you won’t leave with a black eye.

Soul Cycle & Spynga:

If spinning alone just doesn’t do it for you anymore, you may want to give one of the newer iterations of the activity a spin. In New York, Soul Cycle locations have been popping up everywhere. The studio offers hugely popular (some even say addictive) full-body spinning classes that integrate hand weights into the mix. The group classes are set to high-energy music that elicits a party vibe. Here in Canada, Spynga, or spinning & yoga, has been gaining popularity recently. It combines -- you guessed it -- spinning and yoga for a unique group workout experience.

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