Are you willing to get in shape and embrace yourself? But doing regular exercises is a daunting thing indeed. Let’s find some alternative methods that can help you out.
There are a lot of people around the world who want to get into shape and lead a healthy life ahead but most of them struggle with spending ample time for fitness. Having a daily routine of exercise or any form of workout is beneficial for all kinds of individuals. However, people tend to think fitness and exercise is a huge responsibilities and it is hard to do it.
But in reality, you do not need to spend more than 30 minutes of exercise on a daily basis to maintain your mental and physical well-being. A lot of people say, ‘I don’t like exercise’ and you cannot even blame them for being lazy because they are probably drained out with a daily busy work life. What if you do exercise that does not feel like exercise at all? You can burn your calories and boost your blood circulation in many ways which does not always have to be weightlifting at the gym.
According to science, nutrition plays 90% of the whole equation and so; eating healthy food comes first even before embarking on your fitness journey. Exercise plays the supporting character here which boosts your hunger, appetite, and immunity. Therefore, keeping a healthy diet is way more important here. Exercises can become very enjoyable when you find unique fun elements to it. When you are having fun, you are more likely to stick to that hobby or skill.
40 Ways of Exercising without Actually Exercising
- Hiking with Friends
There is no better feeling than hiking with friends as it keeps you closer to nature as well as to your friends. Put on your hiking shoes and embark on an adventure with camping kits. Hiking is one of the best and most natural ways of exercise that puts you out of your hobbit hole. It is also a good way to hang out and socialize while exploring new places and mountains.
- Walking
If you do not have hills or mountains around and still want to put your legs in some action then walking can be a good alternative to hiking. Since you are walking on the plains, you can also go for long walks without draining much energy. This simple activity can help you reduce your stress and bad calories while offering a quick boost of energy. This is the reason why most people like to go for morning walks. However, you can also go for a walk at night time if you like as they say a walk after dinner can help you with digestion and sleep. You can easily find plenty of parks and sidewalks for walking in the cities and only 30 minutes of walking can bring a major change in your lifestyle.
- LARP
LARP stands for Live Action Role Playing which can appear a little silly to many but those who play such games can relate to it. Just like Dungeons and Dragons, you can be any character from the storyline and play accordingly with a complete dose of drama, entertainment, and cosplay. While it might appear ridiculous to you, remember Henry Cavil is an avid fan of Warhammer 40K, and role-playing for that game has helped him become Superman.
- Rock Climbing
Just like hiking and walking, there are many cardio and adventure sports options that can keep you fit, agile, and ready for any kind of situation. Rock climbing is one of most the fascinating exercise programs where you can learn how to climb rocks which refers to pulling your body weight up against gravity with the help of difficult and small finger holds. This is a whole-body exercise that can help you become immensely strong. You will have the strongest arms, back, and core that help to get through sheer obstacles and tough obstacles. Besides, rock climbing can also offer you a hefty dose of confidence since you defy gravity and death.
- Geocaching
Geocaching is considered an outdoor recreational activity that can be the dream of every nerd. People who have studied botany, zoology, and other specializations in Biology as well as Geography might find this activity much more interesting and relevant. This activity can make you Lara Croft or even Nathan Drake from Unchartered who is in search of hidden treasures all around the world. Currently, there are many people who do this as a professional job with a complete kit including a GPS receiver. However, you can also do it as a hobby.
- Dancing
Have you ever considered dancing as an alternative method for exercising? Dancing is one of the most fun and enjoyable cardio workouts that you can easily do in a small place with just a mat and along with your favorite music. Dancing is a good calorie buster and a great mood lifter that can energize you quickly. Starting from b-boy, hip-hop, and street, to flamenco, tap dance, Zumba, salsa, and others; there are various kinds of dance formats that you can try on your own. If you are willing to take it seriously, there are plenty of dance coaches and classes where you can admit yourself to cultivate this hobby which is an exercise too.
- Roughhousing
Have you ever heard of roughhousing? It is exactly what it sounds like. It is about someone who is not doing a good job at housing or keeping things together at home. While it is bad for an adult; you can engage in roughhousing with your kids just to feel alive again. It pumps a lot of energy and happy hormones along with dopamine which can improve your physical and mental well-being. Besides, running after your kids, pillow fights, and climbing trees; are not very tasks. Even if you are a parent; try to keep your inner child alive. You will not stay young forever but you can keep that feeling alive which makes you stay motivated.
- Climbing Trees
Well, you might be thinking why should you climb a tree; are you a monkey or what? Yes, it is true that we humans do not have the luxury of time to climb trees now like we used to in our childhood. However, we can still do it if we want to. Climbing trees requires balance, strength, and agility. If you climb trees daily; you will get a fine blend of all three virtues that pushes you forward. Besides, climbing over a tall tree can also offer you a good vantage point. Whether you have a tree house or not, climb more trees and make friends with them.
- Martial Arts
The popularity of UFC or the ultimate fighting championship has increased much in the last few years with the demand for Mixed Martial Arts or MMA. Every country and region has its own style of martial arts which has been on earth for many years now. Nowadays, people do not learn MMA only to treat it as a professional career but just to stay strong and defend themselves when a situation occurs. MMA training can be grueling but it also makes you strong, confident, and skillful. With MMA, you do not need a weapon but you turn into one.
- Stand at Desk
You know sitting around the whole day is quite unhealthy for your well-being. Even if you have to sit and work for 8+ hours on a daily basis; it is highly necessary to small breaks just to stand up and walk around which allows you away from fatigue and stress. It is a unique problem for remote workers and Work-from-home employees who are more likely to stay in a relaxing position while working. You can also install a standing desk where you work without sitting. It is like a fidget movement thing where you lumber yourself for something bigger.
- Set for Active Meetings
Meetings can be done anywhere since it is essentially just talking and you can talk anywhere whether you are in a café or on the golf court. Always try to set up active meetings with more activity than just talking. You can for meetings while enjoying a sports time. Suggest the other person’s ideas like tossing a frisbee, throwing a baseball, hiking for good views, and many others. Such activities can be considered as hobbies if you really like to do it. Active meetings are often more productive and can help to reach results with more impact and effectiveness.
- Happy Cleaning Day
Cleaning is something many people do not like to do. But is mandatory activity and you cannot move on in your life if you do not clean your house regularly. Home chores like cleaning floors, washing clothes, doing dishes, etc are the least activities for most but doing them can be considered as therapeutic activities that make your body work and mind refreshing. Cleaning comes with great satisfaction and trust me, there is a great feeling about sleeping on clean sheets and wearing fresh and clean clothes. Listen to a podcast or some music while you do the home chores and it will feel no less than a workout because practically, that is a lot of work.
- See the World Upside Down
In order to see the world upside down, you need to learn how to handstand and that is not that big a deal. It can be considered a fun activity that you might want to do in your childhood and now is the perfect time to do it. Only doing 15 mins of handstand or body-weight pushups can burn a lot of calories while making your arms stronger than ever. It helps to elevate your core strength and provides more balance to your mass. Whether it is cartwheels, somersaults, or headstands; do everything that can make you feel young again.
- Parkour
Well, we are not talking about the hilarious episode from ‘The Office’ here but we will definitely talk about parkour. It is an urban concept of making stunts through concrete architecture and people can start doing it at any age, However, it requires a lot of indoor practice at the gym before you actually hit outside. It is a combination of vaulting, climbing, running, making flips, and many other activities which makes it one of the hardest cardio trainings that requires a lot of stamina. Parkour is amazing and learning this skill can almost make you feel like super superhero.
- Hit the Playground
Do you return from work or go to work while looking at the playgrounds where kids play? It is quite common among most adults as we hardly get any time to play with our friends like we used to do in childhood. It is true that you can easily play online games with your friends and it kind of ruins the idea of having fun outside. Don’t hesitate and sometimes just let yourself go to be that kid again. Do not just pass the ball but also join the game with kids sometimes. Yes, you are old and do not have that energy or agility but it was never about winning in the first place. Just play with them and rejuvenate yourself. After getting sweaty, make sure to have an ice lolly with them.
- Adult Gymnasium
Not just kids but there are adult gyms too for those who want to learn gymnastics or any other activities that improve your real-world strength. These gyms are specially crafted with all the tools and trainers who can help you in the process and push you further to achieve your fitness goals. They utilize a lot of techniques to help the adults such as HITP, cable training, power training, calisthenics, swinging on rings, and the list goes on. You can easily find such gyms all over the country.
- Yoga
It is not always about lifting heavy weights but you also need to be flexible with strong bone structure and joints. Yoga is a great way to build your core strength and stamina along with a hefty amount of agility and flexibility. And the best part is that you are required to go to an Ashram and a Yogi to learn yoga. You can simply start from your home with YouTube tutorials and a yoga mat. Currently, there are many fitness organizations that offer creative yoga packages such as Acro-Yoga, Pet Yoga, Beer Yoga, and many others. Such fitness activities sound quite fun and interactive for all kinds of people.
- Play Video Games Physically
That sounds kind of weird, doesn’t it? Well, there are actually video games that require physical movement, thanks to the advancement of Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented reality (AR). Other than just playing COD on your PC, try to play games like Beat Saber, DDR (Dance Dance Revolution), and others where you can engage in some kind of physical movements too. You can also give yourself challenges every time you fail, you will do 20 push-ups. This can keep you motivated and keep on going on your productive path.
- Workout at Playground
If you go to kids’ playgrounds or the beach parks, you will there are many elements that you can use for exercising. These tools can be utilized to enjoy a gym-like set-up with any added weight. Whether you climb the rope or wing across the monkey bars; these fun activities can improve your physical strength and structure greatly. Plus, when you can do such activities outside; you might not want to spend a handsome amount on gym fees. Save that money and invest that in a healthy diet.
- Play a Musical Instrument
Ever wondered why the bass guitarists or the drummers always have big arms? This is due to their years of practice with their musical instruments. Learning a musical instrument is not rocket science but it still requires mental concentration and physical strength to play the instrument properly without losing out on its tune. According to a recent study, playing a musical instrument can help to burn a hefty amount of calories as your brain and body, both work sharply in this case.
- Join a League
If you are an ardent fan of sports and like to play sometimes, it is time for you to leave the sports bar and join a league where you can easily find like-minded people. Joining a rec league can help you people who can join for matches for tennis league, kickball, and softball. It is also a great opportunity to talk with others and make friends whom you can play with.
- Cycle to Work
Cycling is one of the best cardio exercises that you can do at any time but if you use cycling as a mode of commute rather than a medium of exercise then you do not need to set another time for it. Go to work by cycling and come back home on cycle too. This way, you can cycle or work out twice a day without even realizing it. Besides, you get to save a lot of gas money while keeping nature pollution-free. Isn’t that great? You can easily find friends to join you on this daily journey.
- Take the Stairs
An elevator can save the day but it can also keep you stuck for a long time. It is time for you to take the stairs and get over your fear. Even Po from Kung Fu Panda hated stairs but he climbed up at the moment of need. So, if you want to become that next Dragon Warrior; start using stairs often.
These alternative methods of exercising are proven to be effective for all kinds of individuals. These practices might not give you the muscles of an Olympian but they can make to strong and fit enough to live a healthy life ahead.
