Do you need to go to the gym to get fit? You already know the answer to this one, don’t you? Of course not!
Gyms can be daunting, expensive, time consuming and they can also lure us into a false sense of security.
Before I go on, I will say that I am not anti-gym. I’m actually one of those people who do like the gym. What I don’t like is the time it takes to get there and the inconvenience of leaving home to do it, so working out at home suits me better at this time.
But I know walking into a new gym can be off-putting for many, which is why I wanted to share a few suggestions today of easy ways to get fit without ever needing to step foot in one.
You have so many options, more than ever before.
My number one suggestion is to walk.
I have extolled the virtues of walking so many times here and I will keep on banging that drum.
Along with the benefits of actually walking such as bone strengthening, improving your heart health and boosting your digestion, it’s a way to tick other boxes at the same time; getting your daily dose of vitamin D, taking in some fresh air, maybe catching up with a friend as you walk, all good things for both your physical and mental health.
If you want an extra motivation boost, try joining in with a virtual walk with Conqueror Challenges. I’ve been doing these for a couple of years now and love them. I have quite the medal collection. They help you to get into the habit of walking, if it’s not something you really think about doing.
Move your body whenever you have the opportunity to.
Walk up the stairs rather than taking the lift, walk instead of drive, stretch whilst you’re standing, dance around whilst you’re cooking, you get the idea.
Be conscious about how long you are staying still. If you’ve been sitting down for a long while, break it up with a walk, standing, whatever it needs to be. It needn’t be a hike, just a few minutes of movement before sitting again for a long stint.
Pick a YouTube video, any video!
This is where home workouts really come into their own these days.
You could try yoga, Pilates, Zumba, weight training, learning to dance, Plyometrics, HIIT, seriously there are videos of everything you can try, and millions are free.
Then within those, you’ll find hundreds of YouTubers offering them so you can take your pick, try a few and find the people you enjoy working out with.
You could stick to a favourite, follow a series, or enjoy something and someone different every day. You know yourself best and your mood.
The great thing about these is that there will be something to fit the time you have available. You might not be able to fit in time for driving to and from the gym and attending a class for an hour, but maybe you can fit in a 15 minutes Pilates workout?
Choose something you like to do so that you are more likely to stick with it.
Do whatever feels right for you and most importantly, keep doing it. This one is not simply about motivation, though that’s going to help, it’s about discipline. Even when you aren’t really feeling it, show up for yourself and do it anyway. You’re not going to regret it once you’ve done it.
Every single movement helps. Of course you’ll need to spend hours working out for huge and fast changes to your fitness, strength and body composition, that’s obvious, but slow and steady still works. Better to do two or three 15 minute workout this week than none because you can’t eke out a few hours, right?
Just move and move often.
And to circle back to a point I made at the start, about gyms luring you into a false sense of security. Having a gym membership and popping there for a session a week does not necessarily make a fit body.
Moving, strengthening, stretching, getting your heart rate up, fresh air and sunlight, these will make a fit body. It takes a combination of a few things and being sedentary for 90% of the time and only moving for the other 10% isn’t going to do it, no matter how much you sweat in that one session.
So break up your days with little movements, form habits that you feel you can stick to and don’t seem to take over your whole life. Before you know it, those habits will be sticking and you’ll be moving and feeling stronger.
What do you love to do?