We all know that exercise is incredibly important for health and overall well-being, but if the fitness bug hasn’t quite bitten you yet, then exercise can feel… well, rather like a chore. Sure, it’s something you know you have to do, but signing up for something you don’t enjoy, or find boring, is always tricky; life is full of enough chores as it is, so voluntarily signing up for another is far from ideal.
Thankfully, there are ways and means of engaging in physical activity without having to spend hours in the gym, running, rowing and cycling to nowhere. Below, we’ve listed seven exercise ideas that don’t feel like exercise – there’s no boredom or clock-watching, just physical activity that feels like a useful or even outright enjoyable use of your time. To find out more, read on…
#1 – Shop offline
Online shopping has fast become the new normal, but arguably the most significant benefit of online shopping – the sheer convenience – is also its most significant downside. If you were to go to a store rather than shop from the comfort of your laptop, you’ll inevitably be more physically active; you’ll have to walk from where you park your car to the store, then around the store itself, and if you’re grocery shopping then you’ll be walking and pushing a cart – all of which can add up to an extra hour of physical activity to your day. While shopping isn’t ideal as your only form of physical activity, it’s worth ditching online stores for their offline counterparts on occasion.
#2 – Trampolining
As claimed by All The Stuff, investing in a home trampoline is an excellent choice for your physical health and well-being; you can look forward to burning calories, lowering your stress levels, and many other benefits if you decide to give it a try. In addition – and importantly for our purposes – trampolining is also fun; you’ll spend so much time bouncing and perhaps attempting the occasional backflip if you’re feeling daring that you won’t even consider half an hour on a trampoline ‘exercise’ at all. What’s more, you should have no problems convincing your kids to join in too!
#3 – Housework and cleaning
As noted by ShareCare, cleaning can burn up to 190 calories per hour – which when done every other day, will help to improve your fitness levels. Now, admittedly, cleaning does not entirely fall into the “fun” category for most of us, but it is nevertheless useful – which can help when it comes to motivating yourself to give it a try. Try to think of cleaning-for-fitness as a helpful two-for-one deal; rather than spending an hour in the gym and an hour cleaning your house every day, you can combine the two activities, keep your energy levels high as you zip from task to task, and have two items on your to-do list complete in just 60 minutes.
#4 – Rock climbing
Rock climbing is, for obvious reasons, physically testing, so it perhaps the most “classic exercise”-like option on this list. However, the benefit of rock climbing is that you will find yourself completely consumed by the task, and if you climb outdoors, you’ll also be distracted from the physical effort by the views you will be able to enjoy. If you want to give it a try, it’s usually best to join a specialist club that offers professional support; when you’re confident with the basics, you can venture out and explore the landscape – and greatly boost your overall fitness as a result.
#5 – Swimming pool games
If someone were to tell you to exercise in a swimming pool, you would likely imagine yourself swimming monotonous lengths and not much more. While there’s no doubt that swimming is good for you, it’s not particularly exciting – but you can do far more in a swimming pool than swim basic lengths. Pool games, for example, are a great way to exercise without even noticing; you’ll be engrossed in the game rather than focusing on completing another length, and your body will get a significant workout all the same. The one downside of this option is that many public pools will frown on pool games, so you’ll likely need your own pool in order to give it a try; freestanding pools are a good, affordable alternative to expensive built-in pools if you have the space available.
#6 – Dancing
Dancing is all about enjoying the music and focusing on having a great time; you can lose yourself in the moment, let your troubles slide away… oh, and burn a huge number of calories in the process. Dancing is a fairly intense cardio activity in and of itself, so whether you decide to sign up for a dance class in your hometown, or simply push the sofa back in your living room and attempt to learn salsa via YouTube videos, your fitness – and your rhythm – is sure to improve as a result of your efforts.
#7 – A nature walk
The benefits of walking are numerous, so trying to find time every day to take a walk is generally good advice anyway. However, you can add an extra layer of interest by choosing to turn your ‘standard walks’ into ‘nature walks’. Rather than simply walking and letting your mind wander, focus on identifying different types of trees, plants, shrubs, and wildlife that you see – think of it as a workout for your mind, memory, and your body. It’s also important to note that you don’t need to choose to walk in a park or scenic beauty spot if it’s more convenient for you to simply walk around the block; you can make the same observations anywhere, including urban areas, and still be able to enjoy all the benefits nature walks can provide.
In conclusion
If you have tired of conventional gym-focused exercise, switching to one of the options above could help to ensure that you can enjoy all the benefits of physical activity without any of the draining downsides – enjoy!
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