Throwing a Fitness Party

Surprise your friends by hosting a different kind of house party. Instead of consuming the usual high-calorie foods on your next event, try something radical and hold a "fitness bash".

A weekend date would be perfect, especially for busy people. Send out invitations via e-mail at least a week before. Ask guests to come in gym clothes and to bring work-out DVDs. For this party, serve a menu of light and healthy snacks. Vegetable salads, wheat bread sandwiches, and fruit smoothies would be perfect examples.

To make things more interesting, you can also hold a DVD swap of your workout videos. If you have been holding on to an exercise video dating back to the 1980s, then this is the perfect time to get rid of it and let someone else benefit from its sheer weirdness.

Holding short fitness contests such as backyard sprints or finding out who can make the most number of abdominal crunches can also add more life and excitement to the party. Then, as the main event, ask a professional gym instructor to teach a workout that you and your friends have never tried before. For example, Capoeira is a fun exercise you might want to explore. It is an interesting mix of music, martial arts, and dance.

Finally, before the party wraps up, shower your guests with goody bags containing fitness items such as wrist bands, pedometers, water bottles, and protein bars. With a party centred on healthy food and exercise, your guests will surely leave feeling happy and revitalised!