We all love running because it's a simple and effective way to burn calories, but just pounding the pavement or kicking it on the treadmill can lead to overuse injuries. Cross-training is great for your body and helps keep boredom at bay: mix it up and try different forms of cardio like cycling, swimming (here's a swim workout to follow at the pool), or Zumba — you might just find you like shaking your fanny with a large group of people.
Plus, Zumba and dance classes use a lot of side-to-side movement, which is utterly lacking in running. These lateral moves strengthen underused stabilizing muscles and can help prevent injuries.
