Favorite ways to sweat.

While I haven't been completely successful with my yoga challenge this month, I have been working hard during my current training cycle (my next half marathon is this Sunday!) to stay balanced with my fitness in order to avoid injury.

My work schedule allows me the perfect window of opportunity to hit the gym in the morning, and I have found that going straight to the gym is my best motivation to sweat.  Over the past few months, I have developed a standard of go-to workouts that are my favorite ways to sweat at the gym or elsewhere.

RUNNING

I still consider running my first love and absolute favorite way to sweat.  It doesn't hurt that it feels like one of the most efficient ways to burn calories.  I have yet to find a good running route near my job so week day runs often occur on the treadmill.  I make it a priority for one of my treadmill runs to be a hill or interval work out.  This helps to beat the boredom and burn some extra calories!  Pop Sugar has a collection of HIIT (high intensity interval training) treadmill workouts for any type of runner or walker.  While distance running will always be my happiest sweating place with the challenge and will to push myself further and complete the distance, it's nice add a little variety to my routine.

NIKE TRAINING CLUB APP

Over the course of winter training, I have been strict about adding in lots of ab work and strength.  The Nike Training Club app is my favorite place to find workouts I can use at the gym.  Before my runs, I always start with a "Get Focused" 15 minute ab workout.  I love the app because it incorporates your own music while walking you through your workout.  The work outs aren't videos (which don't tend to stream well at my gym), but you can view video or step-by-step directions for each move.  There is a ton of variety within the app.  I've only recently started using the "Advanced" work outs (you have the choice between Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced), and those workouts are hard!  I'm literally dripping sweat throughout the entire workout.  I use this app any time I travel, so I have can work outs on the go.

HOT YOGA

I still have a love-hate relationship with hot yoga.  With my asthma, I was nervous to try this form of yoga since warmer temperatures tend to make my breathing worse.  Since a lot of the condition is psychosomatic, I found that I appreciate the challenge of hot yoga.  My asthma isn't severe (I don't have asthma attacks), so I don't believe I'm risking my health.  Personally, it feels like the perfect balance between my mind and body.  The only thing I'm ever concentrating on is my breathing, the sweating, the postures, and how much longer until I've accomplished this work out.  This is a work out that pushing all my boundaries and certainly keeps me sweating. The biggest downside?  The cost.

Now that my training is coming to an end, I'm looking forward to finding some new ways to sweat.  What are your favorite ways to work out in or out of the gym?