Tag: great exercise

Creative Ways to Exercise Without a Gym Membership

Gym Membership Woes

Believe it or not there are some individuals that enjoy going to the gym and working out. They look forward to their workouts and feel strange when they miss one. Beside the health benefits of exercising such as weight loss, energy and control of high blood another reason why they love going to gym is because of the unsung reason  “me time” . When you are exercising  you are focused on 3 things:Me, myself and I . Sounds selfish but Yoga is build on this principle. While exercising you are able to zone everyone out and tune your reps and sets in.

However, if  the idea of paying money and going to workout on sweaty machines with a bunch of other random people is wholly unappealing no worries, working out at home can offer you the same rewards. Trying to add gym  membership dues to your budget, getting yourself to the gym, and having to fight for machines and equipment  is for the birds. Ain’t nobody got time for that especially after a long day at work.  Besides you do not want to pay for a membership and become a statics. I am referring to the  statistics  reporting that 80% of people with gym membership do not go regularly. Fortunately a gym membership isn’t the only way to get a good workout and stay in shape. There are lots of creative and fun ways to get your workout in without all the hassle.

Workout while You Work

For starters, you might already be exercising throughout your day and not even realize it. If you have a physical job or one where you are on your feet and walking around all day, you are likely getting exercise without even thinking about it. You can try to maximize this by adding in a few extra reps here and there or taking a longer route to get some extra steps in. For example, if your job requires lifting and moving objects, you could add in a couple of squats or arm lifts while you are working.

Walking is also a great way to stay active. Make a conscious effort to get up and go for a walk on your work breaks, walk places instead of driving. Use hand weights or weighted vest and trying rucking. Find a park that you enjoy and go for an afternoon hike. Hiking in nature is not only great exercise it is also a great stress reliever.

If you do not have time to read, you can catch up on your “reading” by listening to your favorite audiobooks as you walk. Put your ear piece in and instead of sitting and talking on the phone, you can walk as you talk on the phone. However, you should aim for brisk walking which is very difficult to do while you are talking.

If you want something a little more active than a walk, the internet is a great place to find free workout videos. From yoga to high-intensity interval training, to pilates, you can find just about any workout you might want to try. Make some space in your home or the park, pull up a video on your tv, tablet, phone or computer, and get moving. The sky is the limit when it comes to fitness app. Try the free version of the apps until you master the exercise. Once you master the moves you really don’t need the app anymore. You can then create your own routine.

Exercise Equipment

Instead of paying monthly for a gym membership, invest in some weights, exercise bands, or other home gym equipment that you can easily use with your at-home workouts. If you have space, you can invest in bigger workout equipment such as a treadmill or exercise bike. Having your own equipment is a great way to step-up your workouts in the comfort of your own home. Search the web for used fitness equipment. There are plenty.

If buying workout equipment is beyond your budget, you can get creative and find things around your house to use. Things like canned goods, water jugs, or a sack of potatoes can substitute for weights and add an interesting and fun element for your workout. You can also double task by turning your household chores into workouts. If you have to scrub the tub, do reps on each arm. Add squats or lunges while you go around cleaning your house. FYI one gallon is equivalent to approximately 8 lbs.

If the weather is nice, and you are sick of working out at home,  go outside. Play sport with kids, such as soccer, basketball, football or any activity that involves moving. They will wear you out. You do not have to be good at the sport to gain the benefit or movement. You can also do some of the activities by yourself causing you to move even more.  Whatever it is, just get yourself outside and moving. All movement counts.

Dance like No One is Watching

Although we might not like the same music, everyone loves music. Therefore put your favorite music on and start dancing. Dancing is another creative way to get a workout without even thinking about it. If your dancing is slow then add weights. If your dancing is already fast and up beat, no need to add anything , just dance.  You don’t even need to be good at dancing. Start a dance marathon and keep yourself moving to every beat for as long as you can. Have fun and do what feels good. Isolate body parts and do reps to the beat and work on some fun new dance moves. Just dance like no one is watching. So what if you have no rhythm.

Started at the Bottom

Take the stairs as much as possible. Pick a few days of the week to wear comfortable clothes and shoes to work then go in the stairwell or finds some stairs or steps. Go up and down as quickly as you can. The steeper the stairs the more challenging the workout will be.  Use your lunch break wisely.  Research shows that in order to give your brain enough time to register that your are full you need to eat slowly. Therefore give yourself 20 minutes to eat then take rest of your lunch time to go up and down the stairs.

So, if you hate the gym, or just don’t want to pay for a membership, that doesn’t mean you can’t still be active and get an amazing workout in. There are lots of creative ways to stay active and get some exercise. Don’t limit yourself by believing that a gym membership is the only way to get fit. Figure out what works best for you and keep doing it! Enjoying your workouts makes you more likely to make them a habit and to stay healthy and strong. All you need is 30 mins of cardio 5 days a week and strength training 2 days a week.

Does Gardening Count as Exercise?

Work videos and ad with fit chics or dudes pushing sled or flipping tires are fun to watch but are quite intimidating. Do you watch them and think that the only way to get active is to engage in those form of activities?  You not have to worry because being physically active is not limited to only intense workouts. In fact, you don’t even have to workout. You can reap some of the health benefits of working out by doing some of the things that you are currently doing.

Everyone has those days when there’s no time to exercise, but what if you could get in a workout while doing household chores? Actually, you can—by changing the way you do housework. With a little creativity, you can learn how to burn extra calories performing household tasks. Not only will you save time and money your housework and health just might improve.

Our idea of what constitutes as exercise is  too narrow.  This is because the images that portrayed are ones of people working out in the gym or running a marathon. I have never seen anyone promoting the benefits of doing house work to increase physical activity.

If  think you have to cycle, bike or run around the block a few times to get a workout that counts then you need to open your mind to other possibilities ? It’s time to change your thinking! Exercise is movement and short periods of exercise count too. You can even earn fitness points for doing things around the house, as long as you do them with vigor.

How do we know this? A study carried out by researchers at Queen’s University in Canada showed the importance of unstructured physical activity for cardiovascular health and fitness. In the study, researchers quantified the activities of healthy adults. When they added up the minutes the participants spent moving throughout the day and compared it to their cardiovascular health, they came to a surprising conclusion. The time spent vacuuming the rug, climbing the stairs, and scurrying through the parking lot to get to a job, are beneficial for heart health. In the study, the researchers measured the minutes the participants moved using an accelerometer, a device worn around the waist that monitors activity. The participants didn’t do structured workouts, only the daily activities they normally do, like cleaning house, climbing stairs, and running errands.

There is one caveat. Non-structured physical activity is most effective when you do it vigorously, not leisurely. When you scrub the bathtub, for example, clean that basin with vigor, not at a leisurely pace. By the way, scrubbing the bathtub for 15 minutes burns 60 calories. But, even if you do it in a more leisurely manner, you’re doing something other than sitting. That’s important because we now know that sitting is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, even in people who do a structured workout.

Another study published in the journal Lancet looked at the movement habits of 130,000 people from around the world found that being physically active for at least 30 minutes per day was linked with a longer lifespan and reduced odds of developing a serious illness. This includes non-structured exercise like doing outside chores and indoor housework. Nothing like accomplishing two tasks at once: a chore and a workout!

Making Unplanned or “Incidental” Exercise Work for You

If you can’t do a structured exercise, make the most of the time you have to move. Pick up the pace when you walk. Interestingly, walking speed is correlated with the risk of mortality. Slowpoke walkers have a higher risk of dying than speed demons. You’ve heard it before, but park as far from destinations that you visit as possible, so you have further to walk. Walk when you talk on the phone. That’s another benefit of a smartphone; you can move while you use it.

Rethink whether to hire someone to do tasks like gardeing, mowing the lawn, raking leaves, or shoveling snow. These activities are intense enough to offer cardiovascular benefits, so why not do them yourself? And stop being so energy efficient. When you walk, swing your arms with vigor, use long strides, and keep the pace snappy. Forget about elevators. Make friends with the stairs and make sure you’re wearing a pair of shoes that can safely navigate a staircase; high heels aren’t the best choice. You can even strap on a weight vest when you walk.

Ready to tackle the chores and get fit? Here are five unique ways to exercise while keeping house:

Cook Without Appliances

Modern kitchen appliances make food preparation almost effortless, but exerting effort in the kitchen can be a good thing, especially for your health. Next time you bake, put the mixer in the cupboard and pull out the whisk instead. You’ll work your arms, tone muscles, and burn calories. Chopping, kneading, peeling, and grating can be done manually, too. For additional exercise, hand wash the dishes.

Iron to Music

Believe it or not, ironing burns significant calories—anywhere from 75 to 150 per hour. But you can add to that total by plugging in some music and turning your ironing session into a workout session. Move your feet while ironing, or better yet, set down the iron between shirts and do a series of aerobic steps, jumping jacks, or dance moves. Ironing to music makes this mundane household task more active, engaging, and fun.

Clean the Old-Fashion Way

Scrubbing is about as active as a brisk walk, and you’ll accomplish important housework while doing it. Say goodbye to the mop, grab a sponge, and get on your hands and knees for some good old-fashioned cleaning. There’s plenty to scrub, including the floor, bathtubs, kitchen counters, and sinks. And don’t forget the walls, door knobs, and windows. An hour or two of scrubbing is great exercise for the entire body.

Organize and rearrange the Closet

Don’t just clean the closet, organize and rearrange it. Moving hangars, folding clothes, repositioning shelves, and sorting shirts and shoes are all active chores that burn calories and work muscles. When you’re done with the bedroom closet, move on to the other closets in the house. Then box up items to donate. You’ll appreciate the results of your hard work, including improved fitness.

Vacuum Hard-to-Reach Spaces

Pushing a vacuum across the living room carpet is one thing, but vacuuming stairs is quite another. It takes considerable effort to maneuver vacuum brushes and crevice tools between stairs, around vents, and under furniture. You may be surprised at all the dirt you find in those hard-to-reach spaces, but don’t be surprised by the extra calories you burn. Vacuuming alone earns you more than 200 per hour.

The Bottom Line

Household chores are necessary, but so is daily exercise. When time is at a premium, do them together. The above activities will help you burn extra calories while you conquer the housework

It’s not just the exercise you do at the gym that counts. So, do the things you do around the house. The bottom line is we need to be more active regardless of whatever form that activity comes in. But, keep in mind, you gradually lose muscle mass after the age of 30 and working your muscle using resistance is the way to reduce that loss. Including 2 to 3 sessions of strength training or resistance training  in your weekly routine is wise even if you’re an active person. But, know that every movement that you make with intensity counts toward getting fitter and healthier.  You will lose or maintain your weight and also decrease the risk of developing health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol.  You don’t have to invest in a gym membership to stay fit. The gym is wherever you happen to be even at the office.

References:

Health News Daily. “Attention Exercise Haters: Everyday Activities Improve Fitness”

The Lancet. Volume 390, Issue 10113, P2643-2654, December 16, 2017

Health Stats. Calories Burned Estimator