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Olympic-Style Workouts: Play The Games Your Way

Posted on Aug 09, 2016

Posted in: Healthy Lifestyle

If you’re like me, you’ve probably been spending a lot of time sitting in front of the TV this week cheering on team USA. Its time to get off the couch! Channel your inner Olympian and use Games as inspiration for your olympic-style workouts. The best part? You don’t have to go all the way to Rio!

Here are a few sports from the Summer Olympics you can try your hand at right here in the Fox Valley. And who knows, maybe you’re on your way to being the next Michael Phelps or Kerri Walsh Jennings!

 

Badminton

“Playing badminton builds and tones the quads, glutes, calves and hamstrings. In addition, your core muscles, arm and back muscles get a workout as well.” – Health Fitness Revolution

Basketball

“Running, jumping and quick lateral movements done in basketball provide a significant amount of aerobic exercise and can burn a great deal of calories.” – Health Fitness Revolution

Biking

“Cycling is an excellent exercise for burning calories. A person cycling with a speed of 10 mph burns 260 calories in an hour.” – Organic Facts

 

Canoeing

“It’s a low impact activity that can improve aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility.” – British Canoeing

Soccer

“The constant walking, jogging and running helps keep the players’ heart rates up, providing excellent cardiovascular exercise.” – Health Fitness Revolution

Swimming

“You’ll get stronger from the resistance of the water, which is about 12 times the level of air resistance.” – Kara Mayer Robinson, WebMD

Tennis

“Tennis helps your bone strength and density by strengthening bones of young players and helping prevent osteoporosis in older ones.” – Jack L. Groppel, Ph.D., USTA

 

Track & Field

“Studies have shown that running can help prevent obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, some cancers, and a host of other unpleasant conditions.” – Jennifer Van Allen, Runner’s World

Volleyball

“The physical activities involved in playing volleyball will strengthen the upper body, arms and shoulders as well as the muscles of the lower body.” – Health Fitness Revolution

Water Polo

“When you play water polo, you are guaranteed a non-stop, fat-burning workout.” – Health Fitness Revolution

Weight Lifting

“Strength training can offer speedy results. It only takes two to three weekly sessions (for less than a month) to see muscles shape up.” – Laura Schwecherl, Greatist

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