There are various ways of staying fit without necessarily hitting the gym, but first, we need to ask, in what ways do you want to keep fit?” Do you wish to build extra muscle, improve your cardiovascular health, or burn down excess fat?
There are various fitness goals. However, achieving them is all possible without hitting the gym.
Regular visits to the gym aren’t the best way to stay fit. Most times, gyms can be costly, require your time and cost hundreds of dollars a year. For those who are fortunate to pay for professional fitness assistance, personal trainers are worth the penny, but here’s how you can tone your muscles, build strength, and sculpt your desired physique without the gym
1. Walking/Jogging
Are you trying to save money, time or perhaps you would like to stay fit the same way our ancestors stayed fit and healthy? It was not with a gym membership. So, how did they stay fit? They used their legs as a means of transport when they needed to get from point A to point B
Start being creative with your walking sessions to get the most of it. For example, you can simply just take a walk to the shop for some milk or when you need to meet a friend at the coffee house. Even if you have no place to go, do not sit at home all day. Get up and go outside. It will enhance your fitness levels.
Fifteen minutes of jogging is a great way to burn down some calories. For starters, running every morning in your neighborhood is effective. However, not everyone is a fan of the outdoors. If this is your case, this Dynamax treadmill is an excellent alternative for a quick cardio boost.
2. Use Your Own Body Weight
Using your own body weight as a form of exercise can help you achieve a full-body workout in a few minutes. Bodyweight training is a pretty effective way to build strength and increase flexibility using your body as equipment. Take the chest as an example; exercises such as basic push-ups can tone chest muscles. You will also be able to work out both the upper and lower body without any expensive equipment.
Here’s a list of the best body weight exercises you can do at home:
- Push-ups
- Squats: Air squats and jump squats.
- Lunges
- Triceps dips
- Burpees
- Crunches
- Star planks and Side planks
- Crab walks
- Jumping jacks
- Mountain climber
- Shoulder stabilization exercises
- Deadlifts
To add intensity to your exercises, you can create your own home gym. There are various affordable home equipment you can purchase to help you stay fit all year. For instance, the Fitlaya abs machine will work out all abdominal core muscles.
The Leadnovo dumbbell and barbell set is also another option for overall body muscle tone and strength. It is a premium, affordable gear to add to your home gym collection.
Additionally, you can increase the pace of your workouts by incorporating more compound exercises that activate the glutes, calves, and quadriceps. Body weight training is the best way to stay fit without gm.
3. Start Cardiovascular Health
The third tip is improving your cardiovascular fitness. It is an important tip about staying fit and keeping your body fat percentage relatively at low levels. Although strength training workouts are effective, they tend to get quite dull with time. To switch things up, adding cardio exercises to your routine is a significant boost.
There are various cardiovascular exercises for you to choose from. Running, for example, is an easy way to get your cardio needs met but it does not provide extra strength, flexibility, and muscle tone. We recommend a jumping rope. A skip/jumping rope is a solution to obesity, poor cardiovascular health and weak muscles.
Check out the IRENE Jump Rope and Skipping Rope.
4. Eat Healthily and Use the 4-3-2 Rule
Bodyweight training and cardio are just one side of the coin. The other side is nutrition. Strength training is not an excuse for eating pizza and fast food every night. The point is, a healthy diet and 4-3-2 rule are key.
So, what exactly is a 4-3-2 rule?
Eating more in the morning, moderate at lunch, and the bare minimum during dinner is what it is all about. It is simply saying, eat a healthy breakfast. The simple logic here is that metabolism is high in the morning and lowest at night. So, you will be able to burn more calories during the day while running errands.
This is to say, diet is important. You can start by creating a healthy balanced meal that consists of a portion of the following:
- Carbohydrates: oats, whole grains, legumes, and corn
- Fats: avocado, fish, nuts, eggs, etc
- Proteins: Turkey, nuts, legumes, eggs, etc.
- Micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals): vegetables and fruits
A healthy, nutritious diet mixed with exercise is the best way to stay fit without regular visits to the gym. Eating healthy and sitting on your couch cannot be of any benefit.
Running, cycling, and swimming are easy ways to start. However, you will also need to track your fitness to stay on track.
We advise you get the Fitbit Charge 4 fitness tracker for calories count and daily motivation to achieve your fitness goal. It is the ultimate fitness companion.
Final Thoughts
Are your days too full and loaded with work? Perhaps, this is why you do not manage to create time for fitness. The above-listed tips are ways you can stay fit without hitting the gym.
The main obstacle for most people is the lack of discipline and consistency. However, holding yourself accountable will create change in your fitness.
Is your goal weight loss, muscle gain, or building abs? Start slowly and increase your pace with time.
To wrap it up, get enough sleep. You have heard about the 7-8 hours of good night sleep rule. Sleep/rest after a workout is as important as exercise. It will repair muscles and replenish broken tissues, which will help you keep your gains.