Need to get more active but can’t stand the gym? We feel you. Who has time for crowded changing rooms and complicated equipment anyway? But staying active is important, even if you don’t have time for a full workout. The good news is there are loads of ways to raise your heart rate that don’t involve treadmills or weights. From jumping on a sport trampoline to challenging your mates to a walk around the park, you can stay active without going to the gym. These fun options will fill you with energy with no membership fees required.
In this blog, we will be discussing 5 creative ways to stay active without hitting the gym.
Explore the Great Outdoors
Going outside is a great way to get active without stepping into a gym. The fresh air and vitamin D from the sun provide both physical and mental health benefits. Here are some ways to take your workout outside:
Hiking is a full-body workout that exercises your legs, core, and glutes. Start with a short, easy hike to build up endurance. Look for scenic trails in your area that match your skill level. Be sure to pack essentials like water, snacks, maps, and proper footwear.
Cycling is an enjoyable cardio exercise for all ages. Start slowly and pay attention to traffic signs. A bike helmet, reflective gear, and bike lights are must-haves for safety.
Exploring a nature park is a peaceful way to spend time outside while increasing your step count. Spot local wildlife, birds, or foliage. Bring binoculars, field guides, and a camera to make it an educational adventure. Take breaks when needed and be cautious of uneven terrain.
A few tips for outdoor exercise safety:
- Check the weather forecast and dress accordingly in breathable layers.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid isolated areas.
- Bring insect repellent, sun protection, a basic first aid kit, pocket knife, and any important medications.
- If hiking or cycling, travel at your own pace. Don’t overexert yourself, especially at higher elevations.
Exploring the great outdoors is an easy way to stay active and boost your health and happiness. Start with small steps and build up your endurance over time. Be prepared, use caution, follow the tips above and enjoy your adventure!
Dance Your Heart Out
Put on your favourite upbeat playlist and just move your body however it feels good. No strict rules or complex choreography required.
Some of the major benefits of dance workouts include:
- Stress relief – Dancing releases endorphins that boost your mood and act as natural painkillers. Just 30 minutes of dancing can significantly reduce stress and anxiety.
- Flexibility and range of motion – Dance workouts incorporate a lot of movement in all directions, which helps loosen tight muscles and joints. Hip openers, torso twists, and arm movements all work together to increase your flexibility.
- Calorie burn – An hour of continuous dancing can burn 500-700 calories, comparable to high intensity interval training. The actual number depends on the intensity and style of dance, but any kind of dance will provide an aerobic workout.
- Improved balance and coordination – Following dance videos or instructors requires you to mirror the positions and movements of others, which challenges your balance, coordination, and motor skills. With regular practice, you’ll get better and better at picking up and performing different dance moves.
Dancing in the comfort of your own home is a creative way to boost your activity levels when you can’t make it to a gym. All you need is some free space, your favourite music, and the motivation to move. Keep trying new dance styles and videos to avoid getting bored, and your body and mind will reap the many benefits. Dance on!
Installing a Sport Trampoline
Jumping on a sport trampoline is one of the most fun ways to get active without going to the gym. Not only does trampolining provide an enjoyable cardio workout, but it also helps improve balance, coordination and bone density.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Bouncing on a sport trampoline provides an aerobic exercise that raises your heart rate, strengthens your heart and improves your stamina. Start with just 10-15 minutes of jumping a few times a week and build up as your endurance improves, later on you can learn jumping tricks. Some simple exercises to try include:
- Basic bouncing: Just jump up and down, using little effort to get off the trampoline bed. This low-impact exercise is easy on the joints but provides an effective cardio workout.
- High knee jumps: Raise one knee at a time up towards your chest as you jump to increase intensity.
- Tuck jumps: Bend your knees and jump up, tucking both knees up to your chest. Extend your body again before landing. This provides an intense full-body workout!
Balance and Coordination
The unstable, bouncy surface of a trampoline challenges your balance and reflexes. Over time, trampolining helps improve proprioception – your sense of where your body is in space. Some exercises to boost balance and coordination include:
- Toe touches: While jumping, touch your toes with opposite hands, alternating with each jump.
- Swivel hips: Bounce and swivel your hips side to side, keeping your upper body stable. Twist from the waist as far as you comfortably can.
- Jump turns: Bounce up and turn 90 or 180 degrees before landing, being careful to spot your landing to avoid falls. Start with quarter turns and build up.
Safety First
- Wear appropriate safety gear like trampoline socks, wrist guards, elbow and knee pads until you get comfortable.
- Always exercise caution and control on a trampoline. Start slowly until you get the hang of it and be careful when learning new moves or jumps.
- Make sure that one person is allowed on the trampoline at a time.
- Place safety padding around the trampoline and use a strong safety net for added protection.
- Follow the manufacturer’s weight limit recommendations for your specific trampoline model.
- Never exercise on a wet trampoline – the mat will be slippery!
Jumping for joy on a trampoline provides an entertaining way to improve your health and fitness from your own back garden. Follow some basic safety tips and start bouncing today!
DIY Home Workouts
Staying active doesn’t require a gym membership or fancy equipment. There are plenty of ways to get your heart pumping right in your own living room. Here are a few ideas to try:
- Bodyweight exercises: Squats, lunges, push-ups, sit-ups, and burpees are some of the most effective exercises you can do using just your body weight. Aim for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps of each exercise.
- Use household items: If bodyweight alone isn’t challenging enough, grab some objects from around the house. Fill water bottles or milk jugs to use as weights. Use a chair, countertop or wall for balance during single-leg exercises like calf raises or hip openers. A towel can add difficulty to push-ups by placing hands on the towel. Get creative!
- Follow an online workout video: There are thousands of free workout videos on YouTube and other streaming services.
- Go up and down stairs: If you have a staircase, use it for an effective cardio workout. Walk, jog, or run up and down for several minutes. For extra intensity, hold dumbbells or add in exercises like lunges, step-ups or calf raises on the stairs.
- Dance to music: Put on your favourite upbeat playlist and just start moving! Dance like nobody’s watching. Spin, jump, shimmy and just have fun. Dancing is a great way to work up a sweat and boost your mood.
With a little creativity, you can design workouts at home that are fun, challenging and effective. Try different options to keep things interesting and stick to a regular schedule to make exercise a habit.
Garden workouts
Gardening is a great way to stay active without hitting the gym. Digging, planting, weeding, raking and mowing can provide an effective full-body workout.
- Planting flowers, trees or a vegetable garden requires bending, kneeling and squatting which work your legs and core. Pushing a wheelbarrow or carrying bags of mulch, compost or soil also provides strength training for your arms and shoulders.
- Weeding requires bending, kneeling, squatting and reaching which provides flexibility and range-of-motion exercise for your joints and muscles. Pulling weeds also works your arms, back and core.
- Mowing the lawn with a push reel or rotary mower provides an aerobic workout as you walk back and forth across the garden. Pushing and manoeuvring the mower also works your leg, arm, shoulder and back muscles.
- Raking leaves activates your core, back and arm muscles. Collecting and bagging the leaves provides interval training as you stop and start.
The best part about garden work and gardening is that you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labour. Eating homegrown produce you nurtured yourself provides a healthy reward for all your hard work. You’ll also have a great looking garden and garden to enjoy all season long.
So next time you need motivation for physical activity, head outside for some gardening and garden work.
Conclusion
So, there you have it: 5 enjoyable and creative ways to keep active without the hassle of heading to the gym daily. Whether you prefer dancing in your living room, taking a stroll in nature, cycling around your neighbourhood, engaging in active video games, or practising yoga in the park, there are a lot of options. The key is to discover activities that genuinely bring you joy, so you’re motivated to engage in them regularly. Ultimately, staying active is about feeling great in your own skin and enjoying the journey. Don’t make unrealistic fitness goals or comparing yourself to others. Instead, focus on appreciating the incredible capabilities of your body as you simply have fun moving it!
