Are you sick and tired of spending hours at the gym every week just going through the motions of your workout? If you feel discouraged or unmotivated with your progress at the gym, it's time to change things up and find new, creative ways to get in shape!
Before you sign up for another gym, think about these fun, non-"workout" exercises to help you get and stay fit:
Dancing
As if you needed an excuse to hit the club on the weekends! Just make sure to NOT sit down all night long, and keep moving in time with the beat. Limit your alcohol consumption to one or two drinks, and make it a point to dance your heart out. After a couple of hours, you'll have burned A LOT of calories!
Snow Shoveling
This is something you'll need to do every day during the winter anyways, so why not make it your workout? Don't just shovel the snow in front of your home, but offer to shovel the snow of your neighbors' homes as well! This is one amazing workout, and you'll be making friends and getting people to like you at the same time.
Cleaning Your Home
Blast some music, roll up your sleeves, and start deep cleaning everything to get in shape the fun, productive way. You can burn up to 600 calories per hour sweeping, mopping, scrubbing and doing other vigorous cleaning activities. By the time you get your home sparkling, you'll be sweaty and breathing hard--the perfect end to an awesome non-"workout" workout!
Martial Arts/Kickboxing
If you want to be badass and get in shape, there's nothing better than martial arts or kickboxing. It's amazing exercise that will have you sweating and breathing hard, but it will be so much fun that you won't even notice it!
Ice Skating -- Need a weekend activity for your kids or spouse? Take them ice skating and enjoy the excellent workout you get as you zip around the rink on your skates.
Play on a Team
Join a local basketball, soccer, football, hockey or baseball team, and spend as much time as you can practicing and playing. Team sports are a ton of fun and a great workout!
Stroll Your City
Instead of spending more time indoors, make it a point to explore the great outdoors. Start from your home and take a walking tour of your city, visiting all of the places you can walk to within an hour or so. Then take your car and park somewhere else in the city, and start walking around there. The more time you spend walking, the more you will learn about your city, and the more exercise you'll get!
Get a Pet
Dogs need to be taken on walks every day, and you'll find that it can be a lot of fun to run, cycle, walk, or jog with your pet. They'll keep pulling you to do more and more exercise, and it will help you get in your workout without thinking about it.
Clean Your City
Volunteer for a local clean-up crew and spend time making your city a more beautiful place! You'll spend hours walking along the highway, picking up trash or gardening, and it will be great exercise and a great way to clean up your city.
There are so many non-workout ways to get in exercise every day, so look around to see how you can get fit without being bored!
Some people get lucky and are born with fit, toned bodies. Andy Peloquin is not one of those people... Fitness has come hard for him, and he's had to work for it. His trials have led him to becoming a martial artist, an NFPT-certified fitness trainer, and a man passionate about exercise, diet and healthy living. He loves to exercise -- he does so six days a week -- and loves to share his passion for fitness and health with others.
