How to Stay Fit Without Going To The Gym

As we begin towards making our new years resolutions and plans, adopting a healthier lifestyle in the form of losing weight, being more health conscious, and other health related plans are always on the top of our lists each year.

Being fit and having a healthy lifestyle is very important and to adopt this lifestyle is definitely doable in your own way.  Believe me when I say it is not necessary for you to head over to the gym and empty your pocket over the gym membership to accomplish this goal.  If we stick to small lifestyle changes that make a big impact, it is much easier to adopt healthy habits which become intertwined into our lifestyle.

When we were kids, we used to keep ourselves involved in different physical and mental activities, but as time passed, in our day to day lives there were more mental activities but less physical activities involved in our day to day lives. This is often times attributed to the stress epidemic unfolding in our society.  The onset of stress then leads to other diseases and illnesses such as strokes, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression.  Instead of investing your time and money to the gym each year, you can actually be fit and stay healthy in some other healthy lifestyle changes.

Here are a few ways through which you can stay fit without going to the gym:

1. Free Workout Videos

There are plenty of free workout videos available which you can take advantage of. Some of these videos are for beginners and some are for more advanced people so you can choose those accordingly. With these free workout videos, you can make your routine flexible as they can be done anywhere, anytime, and without any types of equipment. Moreover, these videos are free so you will save money as well as different options available depending on your mood or needs. With these different videos, you can make your own exercise routine.

2. Walk

Walking is an easy exercise to do and requires only a pair of shoes. Walk whenever you get a chance to. Talking on a phone at home or office? walk. Want to grab a coffee? take a walk. Park your car further away, so that you can get a chance to walk those extra steps. If you make a goal to do 30 minutes of brisk walking every day you will see how this results in a healthier life.

3. Take the Stairs

Take the stairs instead of taking elevators whenever it is possible. Taking the stairs can make a big difference in your health. When you take elevators, it is sedentary, you will not move, but when you take stairs, it will increase your heart rate and activate important muscles. There are many benefits of taking stairs such as you will burn more calories, it strengthens the muscle etc. Get rid of the elevators and use stairs.

4. Opt for Body-weight Exercise

Body-weight exercises are great ways to be fit when you don’t want to go to the gym or buy gym equipment. Body-weight exercise such as Plank, push ups, squat, crunches etc are easy and simple and best way to improve your strength without any equipment. These exercises can be done anywhere so go ahead and do them at the park, at home, at the beach and anywhere your heart desires.  Don’t underestimate your body weight.

5. Do Yoga

Yoga is one of the best techniques to boost both your mental and physical fitness. You can learn yoga by watching simple YouTube videos or by searching them online. Visit your local yoga studio or sign up for yoga classes done at the park or the beach.  Doing Yoga only 15 minutes can enhance your overall health. Yoga can improve your flexibility, makes your posture perfect, makes your muscles strong and along with that, it provides you with many mental health benefits also.

6. HIIT Training

HIIT Training is High-Intensity Interval Training, and as name sounds, this workout is the best workout to burn those extra calories in a shorter period of time with high intensity. This type of training techniques requires a high level of intensity. It keeps your heart rate up and burns calories in a very less time. HIIT training is a perfect training exercise for those people who have less time to do the workout. This type of training can be done outdoors, at a local facility or wherever classes are conducted.

7. Explore The Outdoors

Go out and explore. There are many activities you can do when you are out such as cycling, hiking, play sports, run and so on.  Activities such as cycling, can tone your thighs and leg muscles and is also good to prevent knee problems. The next tome you go grocery shopping or go to hang out with your friends, instead of going out with your four wheeler, use a cycle. Similarly, outdoor activities such as hiking also burns a lot of calories and is one the best outdoor exercises since it also gives you the opportunity to observe and immerse yourself in nature which gives many mental health benefits.

8. Have a Balanced Diet

Diet plays a major role when it comes to getting fit. 20 percent is exercise and 80 percent is all about diet. So having a balanced and healthy diet is very important. Create a diet plan. Diet is not about eating less, but to eat healthy foods and make this your lifestyle. Try to cut out sugar, fatty foods, soda drinks, alcohols, and processed foods from your diet and opt for green veggies, proteins, and fruits. There are apps where you can find free diet plans and healthy recipes. Along with that keep yourself hydrated and drink plenty of water and low sugar fluids.

9. Turn Household Work Into Exercise

Doing household work is a great way to get your body moving. Household work such as cleaning, mopping, sweeping, and gardening can actually help you to lose a good number of calories. For example, in an hour of sweeping and mopping, you can lose 180 to 235 calories. Make your housework even more creative and turn it into your exercise routine by incorporating music, you can even use your furniture as a workout equipment. Lookout for items which has weight and use them as a weight for doing exercise such as curls, biceps press etc. Do squats while gardening and watch the sweat run.

10. Get Enough Sleep

Last but not least getting enough sleep is very important to get fit and healthy. Lack of sleep can increase cholesterol level, the stress hormone, which will result in overeating and you will gain weight. Lack of sleep can also create many health issues. The number of hour of sleep varies from person to person but it is highly recommendable to have 7-9 hours per night. The best way to know your sleeping hours is to track your sleep cycle.

These are 10 of my favorite ten techniques to stay  fit without going to the gym, but whatever you do, consistency is very important. Don’t start anything for a shorter period of time, do it for the long term. Additionally, keep a track of your weight loss or mental health journey by using a journal. Keep goal focused, practice developing habits instead of fad diets and plans and live simply.

Much Love, Ally.