I've read a bunch of articles about how some of the best exercises are actually the ones that work out both your mind and body. So I added in yoga a few years ago and loved the results. I learned to relax and have been known to break out the breathing exercises at work when things get a little hairy. While yoga helps your brain learn to relax, I also was on the look out for something that actually worked it out. Finding something that requires coordination is probably the best thing you can do to challenge your brain during a work out. I am not talking about stepping on or off a bench, or whatever moves you do in Zumba. I mean the type of coordination that is necessary to do more than one thing at a time, like juggling while walking coordination.
I've found that in Revolve's Complete Body Ride. The first time I took this class, I scoffed. How hard could riding and strength training really be? Especially when a two-pound weight was resting on your handle bars. I was very, very wrong.
I've been going to Grant's Wednesday night classes for a few weeks now and each time I am surprised at how hard it is to keep your legs moving while punching across your body. It takes a lot of concentration to keep your legs moving at the same pace, let alone moving at all. Also, those two-pounders are pretty heavy by your umpteenth punch.
I've gotten better at it, and I am going to own that to the fact that I am growing my brain power somehow. Kinda like getting the results of a Sudoku puzzle while you are sweating.