Gym memberships can become a pain after a while, especially when you find yourself not wanting to go. The travel time combined with how many people are present tends to get old rather quickly when you are trying to go to the gym on a regular basis.

The good news is that you do not need to hit the gym in order to get into shape. In fact, there are many fun methods you can use to get into better shape without having to spend much money or even go far from your home. What follows are 10 easy ways to get into shape.

Walk Your Dog

Walking is not only good for you, but your dog as well. Walking provides an excellent, low impact activity that gets the heart pumping. Plus, you can choose the time you want to walk starting in the morning to get the blood flowing or in the evening to help you unwind from your day. Whether you have a dog or not, getting out and walking is a simple, effective, and great way to get into shape. Plus, it only costs you a pair of good shoes.

Yoga

Another great low impact workout is yoga which stretches the body and tones the muscles. There are several different types of yoga you can choose from that can be practiced in the privacy of your own home. There are yoga methods that are easy to do and focus on breathing and form while other, somewhat more strenuous methods help to tone the muscles and lose weight. You can choose from any or all of them in helping you to get into better shape.

Jogging or Running

Two simple methods that only require a good pair of shoes and a place to jog or run like around the block or at your local park. Jogging is a good endurance exercise that provides you with excellent cardio and helps tone the legs and back muscles. Running is high-end training that can help you improve your overall endurance and is often used as part of a high intensity workout program. Be advised that both methods are tougher on your knees which means that you’ll need to be careful of injury or long-term damage that might occur.

“Baby steps count, as long as you are going forward. You add them all up, and one day you look back and you’ll be surprised at where you might get to.” – Chris Gardner

Household and Landscaping Chores

Raking the leaves, mopping the floor, even cleaning the dishes burns more calories than if you just sat and watched TV. So, find a few chores to do every day and let that be your exercise routine. Naturally, you’ll have to combine it with eating right and working all the muscles in your body, but it can be done if you try.

Ride a Bike

What was once great fun as a kid is now excellent exercise for the adult. Riding a bike provides you with a great cardio workout that is not only excellent for the heart, but also is easy on the joints so you can do this without worry of damaging your feet, ankles or knees. However, you will need a helmet because of the risk of falling. Many communities offer bike trails that are perfect for riding that are safe from vehicular traffic and provide a great way to explore the surrounding area. There are also a number of competitions held every year that will give you a target to work for in your exercise program.

YouTube Exercise Videos

Finding a good exercise video on YouTube is pretty easy. In fact, you can find and download a number of them to your computer so you can pick and choose the one you want to do today. From high-intensity workouts to low-intensity exercises, you can find a number of great videos that are all for free. Plus, all you need is the room to do the exercises while watching the videos. If you can take your laptop or mobile device outdoors, you can get into shape under the sun. The possibilities are endless as well from dancing, weight-lifting, or standard exercises.

Choose a Sport

You’ll need to pick a sport that offers good exercise potential such as volleyball, badminton, or basketball just to name a few. You can join a league or just gather a team of players that will help you get into shape. You can also mix and match your sports so that you never get bored and can find a new challenge once you are through with the old one. Of course, you can always shoot some hoops in your driveway or play in the park, the choice is yours.

Dancing

Normal workout routines can become quite boring, so why not take the time to dance instead? There are a number of excellent dance exercises such as Zumba to name just one. Dancing combines aerobics with rhythm so that once the music starts you can let your own inspiration take over. This form of exercise is great for toning the muscles and losing weight. Plus, it can be combined with other exercises so that you will never get bored of dancing.

Kettlebell

A kettlebell is a round weight with a handle and it resembles a tea kettle. Kettlebells are often used by weightlifters for toning because the off-center handle actually helps the body to work more muscles. This means that you can tone and shape your muscles faster than with standard dumbbells and barbells. In addition, most kettlebell workouts are low impact which means less strain on your joints. There are many kettlebell workouts on YouTube that you can use to help shape the body, just be sure that you are outdoors or away from any breakables just in case the kettlebell slips from your hands.

Play with Your Kids

Take a few minutes to play with your kids as that provides great exercise and enjoyment for everyone. You can play sports, hide and seek, or other fun games that get your feet moving. When combined with a good, healthy diet you can burn quite a few calories by playing with your kids on a daily basis.

“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” – Buddha

 

 

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