I spent last weekend in Zion National Park with my husband, Dave. It’s a breathtaking place: Imagine huge red-rock mountains all around you—or better yet, check out my photos, below. On Saturday we set out on Angel’s Landing, the most famous of Zion’s hiking trails. The first two miles are a steady uphill climb with steep (read: scary) drop-offs. We didn’t talk much, just concentrated on our footing and reminded each other every once in a while to drink some water or check out the scenery. When we arrived at the end of the trail, we stopped to take in the view (it’s not every day you look down from 5,000 feet!), then climbed another mile-and-a-half on the West Rim Trail. By the end of the day we’d logged more than nine miles on four trails and seen wildflowers, waterfalls, freshwater ponds, and even a mule deer (picture a deer with the ears of a mule—adorable!).

On the shuttle ride back to our motel, I felt so thankful that I’d been able to make those climbs. I don’t have a strong desire to run a marathon, complete a triathlon, or even master crow pose—I just want to be fit enough to never have to sit out an adventure.

P.S. In the weeks leading up to this trip, I added stair climbing to my twice-weekly outdoor workouts. I’m not sure how much it helped—my legs still felt like Jell-O at the end of the each hike—but it was a fun way to mix up my routine. To do it, simply find a set of stairs indoors or out (I use the ones outside the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits) and challenge yourself to do 5 “sets” of each of these activities: jogging up and down; walking lunges up (step on every other step and bend your knees deeply) and jogging down; and walking up and down. I guarantee you’ll feel the burn in your butt and thighs!

Today's blogger: Kristen Maxwell, Shape's assistant managing editor

Lately my usual workout has felt more like a snooze than a sweat session. But these fun new classes have me psyched to get to the gym again. Give them a try—or just steal one of their techniques to use in your routine.

> Cardio Junkie at Equinox Fitness Clubs nationwide
This 30-minute session—ideal for a lunch hour—combines dance moves, kickboxing, and good old jumping jacks to keep your heart rate elevated. You’ll burn more than 250 calories.
Try it yourself Queue up a beat-thumping playlist and switch to a new activity—like boxing jabs, kicks, or jumping rope—every time the song changes.

> Indoboarding at Crunch gyms nationwide
Get the body of a surfer—without wiping out. During this one-hour session you’ll do strength moves while balancing on an Indo Board (essentially a piece of wood that rests on an inflatable ball). You’re so busy trying not to fall off, you can’t possibly zone out.
Not a Crunch member? Stand on a balance disc or a squishy pillow while doing your favorite resistance moves.

> Booty Slide at Rebecca Kordecki Studio, New York City
You wear a pair of fabric booties and slide around the floor doing strength and cardio moves during this 40-minute energizing session. (Despite the class’ name, you’ll feel the workout from head to toe.)
Don’t live in NYC? Put on a pair of socks, find a non-carpeted floor, then slide your way sculpted with the free downloadable moves at rebeccakordecki.com. 

Today's blogger: Janet Lee, deputy editor

In the pages of Shape, we talk so often about how you should exercise to de-stress that it’s kind of like white noise. We know, we know…. But I’m always amazed at how effective a tough workout can be at calming my mind and emotions—especially when nothing else seems to help. I’m in the middle of a break-up and those mid-day cardio sessions and post-work interval routines have really helped take my mind off all the “what ifs” and “if onlys.” One night, before a conversation where I wanted to be calm and clear, I jumped on the elliptical, cranked up the level and did hill repeats. Mission accomplished. Another night, when I felt overwhelmed with sadness, I hit the path near my apartment and ran it out. All that buzzing in my head gradually floated away with every breath.

Last weekend, however, when I felt like my emotions were ping-ponging all over the place, I went to yoga class. “Nobody can stay stressed in yoga class,” I thought. But 20 minutes in I still couldn’t turn my brain off. I was on the verge of tears, and didn’t feel like doing the vinyasas. “What is wrong with you?” I asked myself. “Get a grip!” I felt like I was just getting crankier and crankier with each sun salutation. I couldn’t bring myself to walk out (who quits a yoga class?), so I skipped some of the Chaturangas and Up Dogs, which my body seemed vehemently opposed to doing that afternoon, and went straight into Down Dog. Some of the binding postures and twists did feel good so I focused on those and tried to breathe as deeply and rhythmically as possible. It wasn’t my most successful class but I’m glad I listened to my body and made adjustments. (The teacher doesn’t flunk you if you don’t do every pose.) The lesson: Find what works for you and don’t force it. Yoga seemed to increase the chatter in my brain while higher-energy sessions eased it.

One yogic element that helps me whether I’m sun saluting or sweating buckets in cycling class is a mantra. Whether it’s as simple as “I’m strong” or something longer, like “I deserve someone who can show me love/respect/patience/_________,” repeating it during my workout reminds me to expend my energies on me, not on something that is out of my control and in the past. I think of it as building a bridge to the next chapter. Every mantra—and every workout—is another plank over that scary span.