Weight racks, treadmills aren’t only means to get fit

By Nilsia Cadena, Special to The Sunday

Sunday, May 1, 2016 | 2 a.m.

One of the best ways to stay consistent with exercise is to do something you enjoy. Are you drawn to nature and the outdoors? Have you ever been curious about martial arts? Perhaps a serene, mind and body-focused workout would suit you best. Incorporating exercise into your life can alleviate stress and improve your health — and you don’t have to be chained to a traditional weights-and-cardio gym to work out. Here are a few alternatives for making physical activity a part of your life.

Go Outside

One of the benefits of Southern Nevada’s arid climate is that it’s outdoor-friendly for a good part of the year. Let nature guide your feet along green, suburban neighborhoods, or up rocky cliffs that offer scenic mountain views of Las Vegas. A good place to start is traillink.com, where you can find biking, running and walking trails. Consider joining one of Las Vegas’ many hiking groups listed on trails.com or one of the clubs organized through meetup.com.

Kickboxing

A basic kickboxing exercise can be performed just about anywhere, but for professional tutoring, classes are available at reasonable prices in Southern Nevada gyms.

The workout can burn as much as 800 calories in an hour, by some estimates, and targets muscles in the arms, shoulders, abdominal area, thighs and buttocks in one workout.

Because a basic workout requires only that you punch and kick at imaginary targets, this is an option available to people in their homes, backyards or in a park.

For a more advanced workout using physical targets or for professional guidance, try ilovekickboxing.com.

Fighting

Las Vegas is a fight town. It has a long and storied history of not only being the site of some of the greatest fights of all time, but for being the training ground for a number of legendary fighters.

But mixed martial arts training isn’t just for those trying to become the next Frank Mir. Fight training promotes strength, endurance and flexibility while teaching basic self-defense.

Finding a class to suit your schedule is easy at Xtreme Couture MMA; there are several regular morning, afternoon and evening choices available at the gym just west of Interstate 15 on Sunset Road. Those in the eastern valley might find UFC Gym more convenient.

Hot Pilates or yoga

Las Vegas is home to dozens of yoga and Pilates studios, offering an array of styles and providing another stimulating way to get moving outside of a traditional gym.

Some variations are more physically demanding than others, like Bikram yoga, in which participants go through 90-minute sessions in 40 percent humidity and artificial heat as high as 104 degrees. But other studios offer cooler environments and more beginner-friendly types of yoga, like Hatha, which is considered relaxing and restorative.

With so many variations, yoga and Pilates offer workouts for people at a broad range of fitness level and dedication to the activity.

Benefits include helping develop balance and flexibility, improving circulation and reducing stress.

DVDs vs. Apps

If you’re going to purchase a DVD or a Blu-Ray to exercise with at home, consider buying a used one that involves a similar workout routine. That way, you can save money and see if you take to the workout before buying the new one. Most of this content is focused more on the type of workout you want, the duration of workout you want, or the specific area of your body you want to improve. Purchasing something brand new isn’t a guarantee of a more effective workout. The only measure of that will be your diligence in using it regularly. Or you could watch a video on one of the many free apps online. To narrow down the list, search for “top ten” or “greatest apps” on major fitness and health magazines’ home pages.