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3 Tips for Being More Active When You Hate Going to the Gym

Do you want to look and feel great but hate going to the gym? Do you understand how important exercise is and you want to be more active, but it’s still not motivating you to sign up for a gym membership? You’re not alone in those feelings as many people don’t consider themselves gym people. It can be intimidating, stressful and expensive to join the gym, and if you’re not going to go regularly, it doesn’t make sense to get the membership.

However, rather than stress and worry about the gym, we’ve got three tips for being more active that won’t necessarily feel like exercise but will deliver some great results physically and mentally.

Make It a Habit to Start Walking Places

If you live in a city or even a large town, the chances are high that you’ve got a lot of amenities and interesting features within walking distance of your house. Things such as dining, shopping, entertainment and even work could all be walkable. If that’s the case, then it’s time to hang up the car keys and start walking as much as possible.

Did you know that walking is one of the best forms of cardio that a person can do? And what’s great is that it can be done by all ages and skill levels. You set the pace, so you don’t have to worry about overdoing it.

Walking can:

  • Help you to stay fit and lose body fat
  • Keep your joints healthy and strong
  • Improve your mood and energize you
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Make your heart stronger
  • Allow you to get some fresh air

As well as this, walking helps to lower the risk of all kinds of health issues from developing such as strokes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Just be sure that you wear a pair of good quality walking shoes that fit well and offer support and stability.

Join a Sports League – Make Exercise Social

Here’s a way to combine exercise with socialization, which makes it a win-win. Joining a sports league is a wonderful way to learn a new sport, better your skills, meet new people, be part of a team environment and of course, get in a workout that doesn’t involve the gym. And it’s not just game day that you’ll get your exercise in, as you’ll also be getting a workout on practice days.

Baseball is a great example of a sport that gets you up and moving and allows you to be part of a team. You can also pick up various pieces of equipment such as a pitching mound, which is portable for games or practice.

Other sports leagues you can join include soccer, football and hockey to name a few. Each one will provide you with a complete cardio workout.

Get Your Family Involved in the Activity Goal

Finding the motivation to be active can be hard for people, which is why experts tend to recommend getting yourself a workout buddy. This helps you to feel accountable and can boost the level of fun. If you’re trying to be active daily, who better than the people you live with to be active with? You can get the whole family involved and engage in activities and outings such as:

  • Dog walking
  • Hiking
  • Biking
  • Swimming
  • In-line skating
  • Ice skating
  • Gardening
  • House chores
  • Frisbee at the park

There are plenty of great options that can be done as a family unit.

People often assume that, unless they join the gym, they won’t be able to realize their health and fitness goals, but nothing could be further from the truth. As shown here, there are plenty of ways to be active outside of the gym.

Written by Eric

37-year-old who enjoys ferret racing, binge-watching boxed sets and praying. He is exciting and entertaining, but can also be very boring and a bit grumpy.