Strike up the band

Attention all classical music buffs and closet conductors - imagine stretching to Strauss and swaying to Swan Lake, while losing weight. Now you can, thanks to Maestro David Dworkin, founder of Conductorcise, a new fitness fusion sport.

'I was always energised after a performance and could lose more than 2kg on any night,' says David, the 73-year-old former symphony orchestra conductor. 'I wanted other people to feel as good as I did and this program is the result.'

The 30-minute DVD routine is far from a lung-buster, although it will get the blood pumping and work the upper body, a neglected area for walkers and joggers. With baton in hand and inhibitions aside you can conduct your own orchestra at home. The low-impact workout is ideally suited to the elderly or as a return to exercise from injury.

Availability: Visit www.conductorcise.com
Cost: $30 (including postage).

Stand to attention

Potbellies could be a thing of the past with Stand Up Paddle (SUP) surfing - a hybrid between surfing and canoeing.

'If there are no waves I paddle,' Sydney SUP designer Shane Steadman says. 'You don't have to be a surfer to use one - at three and a half metres long they're like a barge.'

When starting out look for flat water and practise standing, moving and turning. Work both sides of the board - the pulling action tests core strength.

In the 1940s Hawaiian surf instructors monitored their classes on SUP's and kept cameras dry.

Availability: Most major surf shops sell the boards but they're also available to hire.

Cost: SUPs can cost up to $2500 to buy, but a cheaper option is to hire one from $50/hour.

Quirky workouts

These activities haven't made it to Oz - yet! They're designed to motivate by offering a new twist on an established activity.

• Third Eye Yoga Take a traditional yoga class and add blindfolds! Without sight it tests the power of your other senses.
• Cycle karaoke As dorky as it sounds, singing while cycling pushes your aerobic system one step further. All songs are chosen before the peddling begins.
• Air Band Get the body of a rock star with air guitar classes. Participants, sans hang-ups, happily phantom strum their way through grungy rock classics.
• Ruff Yoga This outdoor class gets yoga lovers to pose with their pup in a mix of traditional and non-traditional positions.