Maybe your vow to work out at Pottruck three times a week just isn't working. read: you haven't even been once. Try venturing out a little (or staying in the privacy of your room) and sample some of these unique ways to shed the pounds.
The Middle East: More than war and falafel. Don't dress slutty for any old reason; here's an excuse to show some skin and get in shape at the same time. Ditch the bicep curls and leg presses for some dance classes at Philadelphia Belly Dance by Najia in Center City. Her Fat-Burning Bellydance Super Technique Workout is a 70-minute class that focuses on learning moves while wearing veils and finger cymbals. Even though students generally wear shorts, hip scarves and midriff-bearing shirts, bare bellies are not required. There's even a "Goddess Night" to unleash your inner deity and learn to shake it like Shakira.
Skip reality. Go virtual. Forget about the preppy polo and the strange skort. Instead of playing tennis on the courts of West Philly, try it on the screen. Get Wii Sports for Nintendo Wii and play tennis like Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova. Wii requires you to make actual swinging motions with your arms in order to hit the ball. Even though it's a video game, don't be na've: play time will leave you sore. So bum a Wii off your friends and start up a workout session. Game. Set. Match.
Brazilian isn't just a wax. Deadly kicks masked as harmless moves? Yes, please. Put that black belt you've been bragging about away (let's face it: you didn't make it past white). Start fresh and try Capoeira, the Brazilian martial arts form. It's featured in Meet the Fockers when Dustin Hoffman's character hilariously practices his fighting skills, and in Ocean's Twelve when the French antagonist makes his way through the intricate laser-beam security system in the museum using Capoeira. Try it out for yourself at The Philadelphia Capoeira Arts Center where you can take classes and master the form for yourself. Learn to kick ass and take names.
Take it all off. Stripping doesn't mean you have to wear the cop's uniform. If taking off your clothes in front of strangers makes you uncomfortable (or maybe you've only done it when you can't remember it the next day), you can still master the art of striptease in the comfort of your own dorm room. Celebrity seductress Carmen Electra decided to create an aerobics video with a dirty twist: it gives step-by-step instructions on how to perform choreographed striptease moves, which tone and sculpt the body. The half-hour workout is as much a cardiovascular exercise as it is a way to spice up your dating life. Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease series has four volumes, including Fit to Strip and In the Bedroom.
