Fun Indoor Activities Offer Variety Of Winter Workouts
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Trying to get in shape by exercising outside isn't always an option this time of year.
Wouldn't it be great if there were some really cool, unique ways to workout inside during the winter?
Well, there are and KDKA-TV's Amy Wadas found a ton of them.
Hitting the gym always tops the list when it comes to New Year's resolutions.
But, lifting weights and running on the treadmill can get monotonous after doing it over and over again.
That's especially true during the winter when you'd rather not take your workouts outside because it's too cold and snowy.
So, why not try something different to spice up your workout and get out of the winter funk?
One activity to try would be yoga on a paddleboard.
"Living here in Pittsburgh, we need to start taking things indoors when it's 13 degrees out. This is awesome," Pool Paddle Fitness student Susan DeSimone said.
She even got her two daughters involved in a class at Chartiers Valley High School's swimming pool.
"It's so nice to be indoors and in the pool and water and it kind of takes you back to summer and the beach instead of being outside in the snow and cold," Talia Sroka said.
Jodi Doyle, instructor and owner of Pool Paddle Fitness, used to live in Los Angeles and decided to bring the idea to Pittsburgh.
"The wave pool, Dormont Pool, Chartiers Valley Pool. We have some of the largest pools. It's really nice to utilize the pools all year round," Doyle said.
The workout is more intense than a regular yoga class because you're using your core muscles to balance on a board. It's a lot harder than it looks, especially if you don't want to fall in.
Speaking of balance, it's a skill you'll need to learn if you decide to take part in an aerial silks class.
"I think everybody can admit at one point seeing a circus and that moment of I wish I could be in the circus," Holly Kirby, owner of Pittsburgh Dance Center and Pittsburgh Aerial Silks, said.
So, Kirby brought the circus to Bloomfield in the form of a class.
In addition to learning silks, students are taught lyra and how to use a trapeze.
"My arms are tired. So, pulling yourself up on the silks can definitely build some muscle," Nick Koroly said.
"It's indoors so you don't have to worry about it being so cold outside and you're gonna work up a sweat," Becky Ankeny said.
If those classes aren't up your alley, give the indoor climbing wall a try.
The climbing wall in Point Breeze offers bouldering, which is basically free climbing without a rope and a top roping area, where a rope is required to climb.
"It's something everyone can do. It's more about a puzzle of how to use your body to get to the next hold and now how many pull ups you can do," Mary-Wren Ritchie said.
It's a great way to blow off some steam when it's too cold to go for a run outside.
If you're looking for a workout that might be a little less strenuous, artistic roller skating might be your style.
"This is more organ music. As you see, a lot of our skaters are older. This is the traditional style of skating that many of us have seen in the 50's and 60's before the disco age hit," Neville Roller Dome Owner Jim Park said.
The artistic skate takes place every Thursday morning and gives roller skaters the opportunity to do the foxtrot and waltz on wheels.
If you're a golfer, no worries.
The RMU Island Sports Center has an indoor golf dome where you can go year round to practice your swing.
If you like to ride a bike, the Wheel Mill in Homewood is a great place to get a work out.
The 80,000-square-foot facility mainly caters to mountain bikers and BMX riders, but also allows skateboards.
If you want to heat things up, you can get to the Cool Springs Sports Complex in Bethel Park for a pickup game of ultimate Frisbee, or join an indoor league.
So, if you're ready to break out of the old and in with a new activity to erase the winter blues and get fit, there's something for everyone.
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