Discover 12 exercises to test in 2023

If you’re looking for a way to get in shape, there’s no shortage of reviews on smart regimens to try. There are high-intensity interval training (HIIT), barre sessions, boot camps, Peloton (American sports equipment company) influencers, and pilates gurus. But there is one piece of advice that almost all athletes and experts point to as the key to success: find an activity you enjoy and do it. That’s it.

If you enjoy biking, running, swimming, dancing, golfing, mountain climbing, or playing pickleball, create a fitness plan to support this hobby. Basketball, squash, underwater hockey – whichever you prefer, take the time to practice. No amount of discipline or fitness can replace a real passion for a sport or exercise.

With that in mind, The New York Times created the series Why not try, which introduces readers to new and different ways to exercise. As we start the new year, it’s the perfect time to find one (or a few) that you want to try.

Testing your skills

Balance: long-term fitness not only develops speed and strength, but also balance. Maybe you can run a mile in six minutes and do 10 push-ups, but how long can you stand on one foot? According to a recent survey, about 20% of older adults have difficulty balancing on one leg for 10 seconds or more. What’s more, those who failed to do so were twice as likely to die within the next ten years. Fortunately, there are ways to improve your balance.

Flexibility: very easy? Test your flexibility. Experts say that flexibility is also a skill that can be improved, as well as strength or cardiovascular endurance. And developing it can improve your quality of life, as long as you dedicate yourself. There are five tests you can take to find out if you’re adequately flexible, and if you fail, these same moves can help you improve.

Changing your gym routine

rowing: Want a good upper body workout but don’t like weights? Want to combine strength and cardio to save time? Love the feeling of paddling but hate being on the water? Try dry rowing.

Formerly known as a rowing machine, dry rowing is one of those rare exercises where you can work your upper body, lower body, and cardio all at once. Classes are popping up across the US, and this year Peloton even created its own line of rowing machines. It’s not difficult to learn, but there are some tips you should know to get the most out of your workout.

battle ropes: want to make some noise? Try battle ropes. That’s right, those heavy ropes in the corner of the gym that look like they’ve been flown in from port provide a great full-body workout while preventing injury. Jesse Grund, a personal trainer in Orlando, Fla., told the Times, “If I were on a desert island and could only choose one piece of gym equipment, I would choose the battle rope.”

Simply attach them to the ground, grab the ends and start moving them up and down or side to side to create waves in the strings. Not only will you build strength in your arms, you’ll also get a strong cardio workout at the same time.

pilates: we all have that neighbor, cousin or co-worker who can’t stop talking about pilates. We get it, you really like your instructor. But how healthy is it really? Is it really as good for you as the faithful say? Yes, it turns out it is.

While it’s especially beneficial for pregnant and postpartum women or those recovering from injuries, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who couldn’t benefit from doing Pilates once or twice a week. It’s possible to do it with online videos, but it’s best to start with a trusted instructor. And while most classes involve some sort of wooden contraption, you don’t need one to practice.

falling into the water

Swimming: There are several ways to turn a swimming pool –or even a lake, river or ocean– into a gym. For one thing, you can swim back and forth. But wait, it’s more complicated than it sounds, and it’s easy to waste your precious pool time. Plan your intervals beforehand for speed or endurance, and make sure you learn the lingo for how to do a 4×50 followed by an 8×50 and maybe a 4×25 cooldown.

Paddleboarding: For those who don’t like chlorine, consider board sports. One of the most popular today is stand-up paddleboarding, where you stand on a large foam board and paddle like a gondola conductor in Venice. It’s a great workout for your arms and legs, and a great way to explore nearby lakes and rivers.

“If only your arms hurt, then you weren’t doing it right,” Curt Devoir, director of the professional stand-up paddleboard association, told the Times.

pushing your limits

cycling on gravel: the real fun of the series Why not try it’s discovering a sport you never thought you could play or never heard of. For example: gravel cycling (grave biking), a hybrid sport that blends the best of road and mountain biking. While a road bike can’t take the bumps and a mountain bike is incredibly slow, a gravel bike lets you explore the countryside at perfect speed.

bouldering: for another adventure, learn to climb without leaving the city or even tying yourself to a rope. gyms of bouldering, which allow you to climb artificial rock walls close to the ground on soft carpets, are the rage in many cities. Partly because short 15-foot walls are better suited to urban areas than huge climbing gyms, and partly because the bouldering it’s a stimulating and social full-body workout that doesn’t require a lot of equipment.

Don’t be intimidated, just start with the easy routes and learn to fall a little.

Games

disc golf: Mark Twain supposedly once said that golf was a good walk spoiled. In this case, disc golf is getting that good walk back. No more heavy cue bags, manicured lawns, and silly carts. Disc golfers head to local parks and forests and just wander around, throwing discs between or around trees and rocks in strategically placed metal baskets.

Today there are almost as many disc golf courses as there are “ball golf”, most of which are free. Some disc golfers can just traverse a local grassy park, while others traverse hilly terrain.

“It’s not how far you can shoot that matters, it’s where you are now,” said Melba Seto, a disc golf instructor in Calgary, Canada. “The goal is just to be active and get out of the house.”

pickleball: When it comes to fitness trends, nothing beats the pickleball in 2022. It seemed like the game was everywhere from San Francisco to South Africa. Yes, it drives some tennis players crazy, but experts say pickleball is legitimately solid exercise. Some studies suggest that 30 minutes of gaming is equivalent to a 30-minute run or yoga session.

“Pickleball is not just a good workout, it’s a great workout,” said Lance Dalleck, professor of exercise science at the University of Western Colorado.

More than that, what catches the attention of fitness experts is that it is an easy hobby to maintain and even a little addictive. And, with the right group of people, it can be the best time of your week.

Leveling up your daily walk

Several studies show that many of us need to walk more. The problem, for some people, is that walking becomes boring – especially when they’ve been walking the same route for years. But what if there was a way to go that made it more interesting or challenging? What if there were six paths?

Some people add weight to their backs or arms, while others practice Nordic walking. Speaking of Scandinavia, the Swedes have an interval training scheme called fartlekwhich doesn’t require you to be chained to a timer while building up your stamina.

But you know what? Just turn on some music or take a call while you walk. The important thing is that you get out there and stretch your legs.

Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves