As swimsuit season looms closer, it’s time to shed the holiday pounds and be able to squeeze back into that itty-bitty yellow (polka dot) bikini (or Speedo).
For you workout nuts, there are tons of great ways to tone up for the summer, especially now since spring is in full bloom. Biking through Frog Island Park is a great way to spend an afternoon and burn some calories. Bikers might also be interested in the Border-to-Border Trail, a marked trail roughly following the Huron River that loops around the north side of campus, into Ann Arbor and all the way along Ford Lake.
Another great way to get outside and work off those love handles is to roller-skate or -blade. Think of a way to skate to the store or the bar instead of drive, or maybe see if your neighbors are up for a game of street hockey. Anyone doing Weight Watchers will enjoy the points gained by this fun activity.
Spring is a prime time to hit the disk golfing courses as well. This is a free way (unless you count the cost of buying a few disks) to tone up your arms. Eastern has a course near Rynearson Stadium and Lakeshore Apartments has a course free to use, just bring ID to gain entrance to the complex. Not sure what disks to buy or where to get them? The course at Lakeshore has a disk shop that loans out disks before you buy them so you can get a feel for your new driver.
If the outdoors isn’t quite your thing, there are plenty of other options for you. If you’re enrolled for spring semester at Eastern Michigan University, you can take advantage of the Rec IM for free. If you’re not, it’s only 20 dollars for continuing students to get a spring membership.
Another way to get in shape indoors is the tons of video games out there, promising a calorie burning way to play.
For the Kinect, try “Kinect Sports”. Play soccer, box or do the long jump by yourself or with friends. “Dance Central” has a workout mode that times your workout and tells you how many calories you’ve burned while busting a move to the music. Also, there’s “Your Shape,” a game entirely focused on making you slim and trim while having a good time.
If the Wii is more your thing, try “Wii Fit Plus,” which is designed to maximize weight loss and other fitness aspects with the fun of the games. Even better, if you want to move from Wii Fit to the plus edition, it’s only 20 dollars, which isn’t bad for an all around workout.
Another fun way to shed those pounds with the Wii is “Just Dance,” both one and two. The fun songs and work out games will make you get up and move and sweat the extra weight away. It’s also a great way to start the fun at parties and get-togethers.
With spring here and all the latest technology, it shouldn’t be too hard to drop those extra pounds in time to hit the beaches at the end of the month. Take advantage of these benefits and get moving!