Some workouts are better together. Think about it: You can get your cardio from one type of activity, like Zumba, but what about strength? Fill the gap and couple your dance moves on alternate days with weightlifting or sculpt classes. Switching up your routine keeps your workouts exciting. And, better yet, doing complementary activities in regular rotation means you get well-rounded benefits. 

Need suggestions on where to begin? Here are few perfect pairs.  

Boxing + Yoga 

Adding yoga to your boxing regimen can make you a stronger fighter. Yoga increases strength, flexibility and improves balance — all while getting you “in the zone.” Yep, the sense of increased focus you feel while doing yoga can be helpful when it comes to nailing those jabs and uppercuts. Yoga also helps increase your range of motion in the joints, reducing your risk of injury. Plus, let’s face it: There’s also something to be said for balancing aggression with a dose of Zen. 

Running + Pilates 

Runners know: There’s nothing worse than muscles tightening up. Pilates can help, as the focus of this practice is slow, deliberate movements that strengthen your core and elongate your muscles. And since Pilates is all about using proper posture, you will train yourself to keep proper alignment of your head, neck, spine and pelvis — which is important to for doing any type of run safely and effectively. 

HIIT + Barre 

A HIIT workout is a full-body blast, recruiting multiple muscle groups. It’s best balanced with activity that’s slower and smaller. Enter barre, which prioritizes tiny, isometric movements and requires you to focus on your breathing and inner strength. Overall, while barre might look calmer than HIIT, it’s just as effective, helping you be more flexible and getting the balance you’ll need to conquer your HIIT workouts.  

Cycling + Strength 

Avid cyclers know they need to put their foot on the brake sometimes. So spice up your spin routine with strength training. It makes sense: to tackle the bike effectively — going both fast and for long distances — you must have strong leg, core and glute muscles. Strength training also helps with balance and coordination, reducing your risk of injury. 

Swimming + TRX 

You don’t need to stay in your lane when it comes to swimming. Branch out and add TRX training to your workout mix. Strength training in general is essential to add to any cardio activity because it helps increase your muscle mass and slow the loss of bone density. TRX equipment is especially complementary to swimming because it requires you to constantly stabilize your body in an unstable environment. 

About FitReserve:

FitReserve is the premier multi-studio fitness membership that allows you to mix-and-match in-person, live stream and on-demand workouts across a curated selection of the best studios and gyms. For more information, visit fitreserve.com, download the app on iOS or Google Play, and follow FitReserve on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.