I know the #newyearnewyou thing can get a bit cliché, but I am actually a fan of New Year’s resolutions and any resolve to better oneself. I tend to make two types of goals each year: a physical goal and a character goal. For this year’s physical goal, I resolved to work on clean eating, and I started 2015 out with a 21-day biblical fast from sugar. Two weeks in, I am staying pretty strong and learning a lot about sacrifice and self-denial, but to be perfectly honest, like most physical goals, it isn’t exactly what I’d classify as fun. (As hard as I try, I just can’t get excited about kale chips.) Therefore, to stay motivated and balance out valuable yet difficult physical challenges, I like to add a little healthy frivolity to the mix with my workouts. Because I’m eating so well, I feel like it is okay to shift the focus at the gym from high intensity to entertaining and still burn plenty of calories. If you are working on being healthy and need something to liven up the journey, here are 3 ideas for workouts that are just plain fun!

Surf Set Fitness 
Surf Set fitness is balance trainer workout done on a real surf board supported by rubber balance balls. The idea is to mimic the workout your body receives from surfing on actual water, but you don’t have to be a surfer to use it. Mama O&O and I took our first Surf Set class when we visited the Montage in Laguna Beach, CA, and we both loved it! Neither of us have surfed before, (in fact, when the teacher asked if I knew who Kelly Slater was I responded, “Wasn’t she a character on Saved by the Bell?”), but we caught on quickly. The class we took covered a variety of moves, including squats, lunges, yoga, and push-ups, but it worked our core the whole time because of the balance aspect. I’d classify our workout as low-intensity, but I think it was because it was geared for beginners. I did wake-up sore the next day, although I can’t tell if it was the workout itself or all the laughing we were doing. I had a smile on my face the whole time as I tried to keep my balance and throw up a shaka sign.

Zumba with Pink
Everyone has heard of Zumba and probably has a good idea of what it is like – a dance workout with Latin-inspired moves done to Spanish music. There are tons of Zumba enthusiasts out there who love this kind of workout, and if you try it and like it, that is awesome: you've found your fun workout! That, however, is not me. I tried Zumba several times and I just never got into it. I wasn't coordinated enough to follow the moves, I wasn't in love with the music, and some instructors don’t even speak to you, which makes it even more difficult to follow along.

Such was my experience until I met Pink. At the gym one day all the exercise equipment was full, but I noticed a Zumba class going on. It was better than nothing, so I reluctantly slipped in the back, and my love affair with Zumba began. Pink is nothing like the other Zumba instructors I’ve tried. First off, she plays an amazing variety of music, including pop, rap, country, and rock. For instance, her latest routine includes Maroon Five’s “Animal,” Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain,” and Beastie Boys “Girls.” Second of all, most of her moves easy to follow and either so hilarious you have to laugh, or they are something I would actually do at a club or a wedding. Additionally, she has such a goofy, fun-loving, energetic personality that it is absolutely impossible not to have fun dancing with her. I love this class so much that I had my birthday celebration with my small group girls there!

Pink teaches at the LA Fitness in Fishers, IN at 7:00 pm on Tuesday nights and at the LA Fitness in Carmel, IN at 11:00 am on Saturday mornings. Obviously, this is only relevant for Indianapolis readers, but I have to imagine that there are other Zumba instructors out there with a similar style. I recommend calling your local gym and asking if they have any Zumba instructors that have the characteristics described above, or else trying a bunch of different instructors until you find your perfect match.

Ballroom Dancing
If you read my birthday blog post, you’ll recall that Mr. O&O and I took up ballroom dancing in 2014 and we are total converts. We absolutely adore our new hobby for numerous reasons, but one is because of the additional exercise we get while always having a blast. Mind you, I would not recommend ballroom dancing as your only form of exercise because most of it is pretty low-intensity, but it is an excellent supplement to your normal workout routine. Alternatively, it is a great first step to getting active if you haven’t done so before or if you need something low-impact because of an injury. In addition to having a terrific time, one of my favorite active aspects of dancing is getting steps! I recently got a Fitbit and I can almost always count on reaching my 10,000 steps a day if I go to dance. If you are looking to up the intensity, Hustle, Samba, and Viennese Waltz are the dances at which you’ll most likely work up a sweat, but any rhythm dance that uses Cuban motion is great for core. 

My studio is called 5 Star Dance and has 3 locations in the greater Indianapolis area: Fishers, (where I go) Carmel, and Greenwood. Each location offers group classes every night and parties once a week, which are included as long as you have a private lesson scheduled. If you want to try a 5 Star studio, leave me a comment below and I’ll get you a coupon for 2 private lessons for $15. If you’re not local, do a quick Google search for a ballroom dance studio near you - they're all over!

What a holiday season! Between winning Thanksgiving drink-making contests, throwing winter wonderland parties, and celebrating Jesus’s birthday, I have been having a blast! And to top it all off, Mr. O&O and I just celebrated 4 years of marriage, which leads me to recommend this darling romantic get away and the best steak EVER, based in none other than Roanoke, Indiana. 

The only wrinkle in our evening was the wine: we brought a very special bottle of 2001 Banfi Brunello that we had been cellaring for this very occasion, only to learn that it is illegal to bring your own wine into Indiana restaurants - whoops! Luckily, we had stopped by Two EE’s Winery in Huntington on our way up for a celebratory tasting, so we weren’t too upset. We settled on a red blend for dinner that ended up being fine, but for any other spoiled southerners, be warned: leave your own wine at home. 

Roanoke being the quiet town it is, we finished 2014 off back at the B&B with a cup of tea and a Christmas puzzle, and started 2015 with a hearty breakfast around a cozy table filled with the other guests. Getting to know them was the true charm of the place, and we even learned we had a close mutual friend with one of the other guests; Indiana small-town charm at its best. Next time you are looking for a great steak and a quick overnight escape, Joseph Decuis is your place!