Exercise strengthens your body and mind, but you don’t necessarily need to play sports. Here are 5 practical tips to stay fit without a gym
If the idea of going to the gym has never appealed to you, you are not alone.
The good news however is that to keep fit you don’t necessarily need a gym membership.
** Here’s how many hours of training per week it really takes to keep fit **
If running on the treadmill or lifting weights in the appropriate area is not for you, in fact, there are some actions that you can put into practice that are good for your body and spirit and that will help you keep fit without even noticing.
None of these activities will completely revolutionize your appearance and muscle tone in a month (spoiler: even the gym wouldn’t do it). However, doing these little exercises consistently can have a significant impact on your health in the long run.
** Identify your personality and we’ll tell you what is the best activity to get you back in shape **
5 practical tips to keep fit without going to the gym
(Continue below the photo)
1. Walk: goal 10 thousand steps a day
Walking is the most underrated exercise everdespite having so many fitness benefits.
It is one of the simplest ways to keep fit and improve overall well-being.
Take a couple of walks, even alone 30 minutes a dayand set yourself the goal of walking a total of 10 thousand steps every day.
You will notice a big difference on the cardiovascular and respiratory levels, and also on reduction of body fat.
In a report that included results from multiple studies, the researchers found that walking reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 31% and the risk of death by 32%. These benefits were equally common in men and women but were more evident in those who covered about 8 kilometers (which is roughly equivalent to the famous 10 thousand steps) per week.
** Walking 10 minutes after meals will improve your life (seeing is believing) **
2. Prefer the bicycle to the car (or public transport)
Choosing the bicycle as a means of transport will not only save you money, but it will have a huge impact on your health.
Accumulating an hour of cardio when you get married across town means exercise and keep fit without even thinking about it.
It is not only good for the body, but also for the mental health: A survey by Cycling UK that found 91% of the 11,000 people surveyed said cycling is very important to their mental health.
3. Take the stairs instead of using the elevator
It sounds like a trivial piece of advice, but it can really make a difference.
Some experts even claim that climbing stairs burns more calories per minute than jogging.
We all have the habit of taking the elevator, so the first few times taking the stairs will be one conscious effort. For example, if you live on the top floor of the building you can start with a few floors of stairs and take the elevator for the rest of the street. Add one plan at a time until you reach the goal.
Include stairs in your daily business, at home, at work, on the subway – you will be doing your health a giant favor.
4. Stay active on the couch too
You don’t always need a gym to keep fit. If you are a self-proclaimed couch potato or are always at your work station, these simple exercises can help you stay fit.
The simplest is the sit-to-stand, i.e. from sitting to standing. Repeat the same movement over and over – it helps strengthen your thigh muscles and increase your heart rate (depending on how fast you get up and sit down).
Alternatively, true couch potatoes can exercise while fully lying on the sofa.
Simply stretch your legs, squeeze your quadriceps on the front of the thigh, and keep the muscles taut for 10 seconds. Or you can try lifting your legs while lying down: it activates your abs and strengthens your hip muscles.
Whereas it comes to exercises that are not demanding at allrepeat them as many times as possible.
** 7 exercises to do at home for those who don’t have the time (or desire) to train but want to stay fit **
5. Dance (and have fun)
Dancing is easy, a lot of fun and the perfect activity to stay fit. Dance not only gives instant happiness, but it also tones your whole body.
So the advice is to open Spotify, search for the right playlist, turn on your favorite music and dance in the comfort of your home.
A dance workout of about 30 minutes burns between 150 and 250 caloriesmore or less like jogging.