How many times have you put getting fit on your list of New Years Resolution? How far did you get into it? Were you one of those who signed up for a gym and never went? How about going for a couple of days then quitting?
If you’re still signed up, cancel that membership ASAP. We both know that the gym just isn’t your scene, whether it’s because you feel intimated or have a busy lifestyle, and you’re probably just wasting your money.
So now what? If not the gym, how can I possibly lose weight? Well, you can:
If you have a smartphone, tablet or laptop, you have a wealth of knowledge and content at your fingertips. All you have to do is go to your app store, and type in “workout app”. It’s as simpleas that.
When you do this, you’ll come across numerous apps so it will be left up to you to read the reviews and features in order to choose the best one for you. You may even have to download 2 or 3 just to find the right fit but that’s no big deal since you can always delete it after.
Some apps allow you to choose from a series of workouts, or difficulty levels, while others have one set routine to follow. You’re better off with one that has varying levels of difficulty.
The good thing about this is that you don’t have to leave your house to get a workout. You can do it anytime and you probably won’t have to pay for it. The drawback, however, is the annoying ads that you’ll probably have to pay to remove. If they aren’t too disruptive and won’t pop up during the workout then you can probably ignore them and click away when they appear (if you have that option).
If you don’t want to use an app, you could always go on YouTube to find a workout video. If you’re a beginner, you can specify by typing “workout videos for beginners” and a bunch of beginner-friendly videos will pop up.
Again, you’ll have to scroll through the videos to find a good one and even read to comments to see how manageable or helpful the video is.
If you have equipment like weights at home, you can follow along with them, but there are plenty of workout videos on Youtube that doesn’t require equipment.
The good thing is you are not limited to standard workouts and the content creators on Youtube always come up with fun new ways to get a workout done inside or in your yard, where you can utilize household items and furniture such as stairs, chairs, tables and even your kitchen counter into your workout routine. These videos are all free and easily accessible as long as youhave a steady internet connection.
Workout DVDs are where it all started when it comes to at-home workouts. If you have some at home, brush them off and pop them into your laptop. They’re still useful!
While you can still find some of them online, usually they’re low quality or have some pieces missing. Many people still prefer to use old Jillian Micheals, Jane Fonda, Leslie Sansone, and P90X DVDs. If you don’t know who these are, your parents probably do! They were and still are fitness guru whose workout videos helped to change the lives of many Americans, and other persons across the world. They’re intense, motivational and when done correctly, get the job done.
While many fitness programs are affiliated with gyms, many others are independent and are geared towards fitness outside of the gym environment. Some of these include dance classes, group cycling, 5K runs, martial arts, and sports tournaments.
Some fitness programs also include dietary regimens that help you to lose weight even faster. Many are for a limited period, but you can carry over what you learned into your daily life and continue the activities as best as possible.
Taking up a new sport or continuing to play one that you were really good at is a great way to lose weight and stay fit. No, this doesn’t mean that you need to be a track and field star to use sports to lose weight.
If you enjoyed swimming in high school, go by your local pool or swim club for a couple of laps as much as you can. Swimming is great for toning and building muscle, boosting endurance and encourages a healthy heart and lungs.
Tennis and badminton are great as well since they build arm strength and endurance, reduce body fat and increases aerobic capacity. Soccer will give you a full-body workout and will also help to increase your stamina and endurance. Gymnastics helps to increase flexibility, improve bone health and density and improve coordination.
Lacrosse, hockey, golf, cricket, skateboarding, volleyball, rugby, karate, baseball, cycling, and fencing are all great sports to try out. As long as they keep you active, work up a sweat and help you commit to a routine, they’re great alternatives to the gym.
If you can’t be bothered by the gym, you can set up your own gym at home. Of course, this will cost you money but it doesn’t have to an insanely expensive state-of-the-art gym for it to be useful.
You can get equipment at reasonable prices online or in stores on sale. You can invest in some weights, or if you have limited space, resistant bands which are quite useful for strength training. For cardio, you could buy a cheap jump rope or a cheap elliptical machine. There must be someone in your vicinity having and yard sale, just dying to get rid of equipment. Disc core sliders aren’t expensive and work just as well as expensive machines for building core strength.
If you’re handy, you can set up your own pull-up bar and use your body strength for exercise. You can build balance rails, use old tires for strength and cardio, create agility ladders from old ones or make your own with some duct tape or build your own squat rack. The possibilities really are endless once you start to think outside of the box.
The beach isn’t just for taking pictures for Instagram or getting a suntan. You can use the beach to your advantage and get a pretty good workout.
You can take a dip and swim along the shore or to a specific point if you’re a strong swimmer, or do water aerobics in waist-deep water if you don’t know how to swim.
Get out of the water and do a few laps on the sand or your regular workout routine. The moving sand grains beneath your feet activates more muscles and gives you a better workout and results ! Additionally, sand absorbs some of the shock so you’ll reduce the impact and stress on your joints.
Just be sure to wear sneakers since there may be seashells, pieces of coral or other sharp objects that can injure your feet during a run or workout. The sand may also be hot which can be very uncomfortable.
The best part about a beach workout is that when you’re done, you can take a dip and cool down!
Many persons workout in a park because it’s an open space with a cool breeze and great walking and jogging trails. Maybe they’re onto something that you should get on!
The great thing about working out in a park versus a gym or at home with equipment is that it is environmentally friendly. There’s no A/C, no equipment plugged in or anything that uses electricity. You’ll feel much better outdoors since you’ll be in contact with nature, meet a few friends and even experience a boost in self-esteem and confidence.
You may experience a reduction in stress and you’ll get the vital Vitamin D that you don’t get inside of a gym or when cooped up indoors. There’s also nothing to pay for, i.e no membership fees since these are usually community spaces that are accessible to everyone.
Stairs aren’t just for getting to your upstairs or downstairs. Nope! You can use them to get fit.
Start with simply walking up and down the stairs a few times to improve agility and build your leg muscles. When able, you can jog up and down them, and even run. Just be careful of slips on hardwood floors or tile.
There are many leg exercises you can do with stairs, such as long steps, traverses, walking on toes, crouch walks, jumps, calf raises and split squats. You can engage your arms and core with money crawls, crab walks, inclined push-ups, and tricep dips.
As best as possible, avoid doing these exercises around children who might get the wrong idea and try it behind your back since they saw mommy or daddy doing it.
The best and cheapest weight you can ever use to exercise is your body weight. These can be done anywhere at any time by using your own weight as resistance against gravity. There are many, many exercises you can try using your body weight and includes beginner-friendly exercises all the way up to the advanced and experts.
Not only are bodyweight exercises cost-effective, but they are also extremely efficient and can help to build muscle while shedding pounds, increase mobility and stability, encourage discipline, boost confidence and improve vo2 max.
Some of the most popular bodyweight exercises are:
• Wall sits
Household chores keep your home looking neat and tidy, but they can also double as a great workout.
Mopping and vacuuming burn a ton of calories, so does unloading groceries and decluttering. If you have a room that needs a touch-up or an old shed, don’t waste your money on a painter when you can do it yourself. Painting involves a lot of squatting, standing, overhead presses, and hand movement.
Got a dirty car? Save money by washing it yourself, then by giving it a nice wax. All those motions burn calories, stabilizes your shoulder muscles and improves mobility and flexibility.
Getting yard work done is also a great exercise. Mowing the lawn gets you moving, as does edging and trimming. Raking up fallen leaves works all areas of the body, especially in a big yard where you do a lot of walking and squatting. Pruning trees is basically strength and endurance training and weeding will engage your arms and legs.
Final Word
Who needs a gym when there are cheaper, more convenient alternatives? Save that extra money and get yourself something nice as a reward for your hard work every month to help keep you motivated. It will be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make!