There are tons of reasons why we should all strive to exercise: physical health, mental health, emotional health, and sometimes it can even be fun! However without a gym membership the allure of a comfy bed can be especially hard to deny, so here are a few ways to “get up offa that thing” without the gym.
Obviously, the great outdoors! Exercising outdoors will give an extra boost to your health benefits, and there are several ways you can get some sunshine. The easiest is simply by walking out your front door. A brisk walk with the dog or listening to music is a great way to get started, and if you really want to burn some calories, start running! However my personal favorite way to exercise outdoors has to be biking. Being able to feel the wind in your hair with fairly minimal effort is my moderate exercise heaven, and if you really want to burn some calories, take a run outdoors!
Unfortunately sometimes there are rainy days, or days you just don’t have quite enough energy to go outside, in which case yoga is a nice way to both relax and exercise from home! Turn off the lights, maybe light some candles, and spend some time improving your balance and flexibility through yoga. There are tons of ways to get started with yoga: books, online tutorials, videos, and more. Find what works for you!
Another easy way to get fit from home is strength training. If this term makes you think of scary bodybuilders in the weight room don’t worry, it can be just the opposite! Strength training with body weight exercises like push-ups, jumping jacks, etc. are great not only because they are crazy convenient, but also because they have the added benefits of injury prevention, more core strength (body weight training utilizes the whole body- unlike sitting on a machine and working one muscle this training works your core the whole time) and improved balance! Again, there are tons of resources online, however there is one of these I especially like using for at-home workouts.
A great way to get the fun atmosphere of an exercise classes without leaving your room is YouTube fitness channels! Soothing yoga, hip hop dance cardio, boxing, and every kind of workout your heart desires has a YouTube channel with a fun instructor uploading weekly workout videos that you can follow along from home! Many of the long-running channels also offer other resources for getting fit like nutrition plans and workout calendars. There are so many YouTube fitness channels offerings at no cost, why not go try it!
Sometimes at home workouts can get a little boring, in this case get social with your exercise! There are two great ways to exercise while getting to know people without joining a gym: adult sports leagues or volunteering. Adult sports leagues do have a small cost, however it is much less expensive than a gym and much more fun to play dodgeball, volleyball, or ultimate Frisbee! Volunteering on projects that need physical labor, like home building or environment clean-ups, is another great way to workout, meet people, and make the world a better place!
How do you get exercise outside the gym?