It has been brought to my attention recently that not everyone who chooses to exercise does so purely for pain, sweat and vanity.

Apparently there is this thing called enjoyment, which is so important to some that they will only exercise if they enjoy it- go figure!

Heck! Some folks even shun the gym culture for other activities, leaving personal trainers and gym bunnies standing by their triple cable crossovers wondering where everyone has disappeared off to…

For those of you who fall within this category of exercise heathens I have put together a list of alternative fitness forms. Those of you who had ‘getting fit’ at the top of their New Year’s resolution list but have yet to make it off the couch as all the options you can think of bore your socks off have no excuse now.

It’s as if I’m Goober’s Uncle Traveling Matt and you are my little Fraggles.

POLE DANCING

Apparently pole dancing makes exercise more sensual (pronounced sent-shoe-ale). Apparently these people haven’t seen me swing round on a pole!

It’s a pretty darn good upper body workout and a great excuse to don high shoes and a pair of shorty short
So even if you are not the gym bunny type then there are plenty of options.

Source: Gaynz.

The secret behind Britney Spears’ fit body has been revealed –

pole dancing.

The 27-year-old star has installed an eight-foot metal pole in her 1,100 pound-a-night penthouse suite at London’s posh Dorchester hotel, when her Circus world tour begins its UK leg.

“Britney has a huge fan base in the UK and really wants her shows here to be a hit,” the Mirror quoted a source as saying.

“Pole-dancing is an excellent cardio and fat-burning workout, and Britney has had private classes in her studio gym in LA.

“She wants to keep up her exercise regime on tour. Luckily, the hotel was happy to accommodate her needs.

“She can swing around her pole while watching TV or listening to music. Climbing up it requires real core strength. It really is hard work.

“In addition, she’ll have a treadmill and stepper brought to her suite, as well as a sit-up machine. By the time Britney takes to the stage, her six-pack of old will be back!” the source added.

Source: The times of India

The high heel shoe on the sign at Stiletto’s isn’t just part of the fitness pole center’s logo.

At Stiletto’s, women learn “pole fitness,” using a stripper’s pole as the basis for a workout. And yes, all members are required to wear stiletto heels during each workout.

Nicole Moak, 30, opened the aerobics center last year in Port Neches because she said she felt women needed a new way to work out.

Beginners start by wearing 4½-inch stiletto heels, Moak said, and when they feel comfortable enough they move to 6 inches.

All of Moak’s classes are one-on-one by appointment only, and twice a month she said she hosts parties where all members can come together and show off their moves.

Women work out in a room painted deep red, on a stage in front of a mirror. Two exercise poles are on the stage.

A one-hour session can burn up to 350 calories, she said, and women do all of the exercise moves on their tiptoes which helps build core muscles.

When she first opened in April 2008, Moak said some members of the community expressed their discontent with her business – which is located next door to the Port Neches Chamber of Commerce. The opposition since has died down, she said.

Tom Ivicevic, spokesman for the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, said fitness pole is a popular workout and is an excellent exercise to strengthen arm and core muscles.

Ivicevic said Crunch – a gym in Los Angeles that many celebrities go to – teaches pole fitness classes.

Moak said she first discovered pole fitness in Dallas, where she took a day-long class with a large group of women. The group broke for lunch and she said many of the women did not return, possibly because they did not feel comfortable exercising in a large group.

That’s why she said her classes are one-on-one.

Moak said her students are women of all shapes and sizes, and even of all ages. She’s taught girls as young as 17 and as old as 67, she said.

“It’s not raunchy,” she said. “It’s a great pole dance fitness program and it makes you feel good about yourself.”