For many people, the gym can be a relatively stressful place to keep fit and healthy.
Whether it’s the social anxiety you may get, because you’re surrounded by dozens of people who can easily stare at you constantly or the amount of time you waste having to wait for someone to finish using the bench press, the gym is certainly not the best environment for everyone to keep healthy.
However, that does not mean it’s impossible for you to workout, keep fit or achieve the best physique that you would dream of getting!
There are a variety of creative, effective and fun ways to exercise and I can assure you that they are as impactful and if not better than the exercises you may perform in the gym!
If you clicked on this blog, you probably would not have expected cycling to be the first thing to pop into your mind, however it is undeniably a very versatile method of exercise to keep fit and healthy.
Cycling is notorious for strengthening your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. However, it also has some very valuable benefits that you may not know of…
Not only can cycling be a great cardiovascular exercise to increase your heart rate and hence reduce risks of heart disease and cancer, but it can help to improve mental well-being.
This is because cycling is an outdoor activity which can usually be done in your local park, forest or local greenland area.
These environments can stimulate positive moods, because they are more open and peaceful than a more busy, urban city.
On top of this, a strengthened immune system due to cycling being partly a breathing exercise can prevent your respiratory system from the common cold.
I would highly recommend cycling to be a strong alternative to the gym. Trust me, there isn’t always a need for a leg workout with dumbbells!
The gym is only limited to a certain number of workouts and exercises which it can offer. Swimming is one of these exceptions…
Like cycling, swimming is one of the most effective cardio and stamina-training exercises out there and it’s with good reason.
Swimming motions require having to cut through water, which offers significantly more resistance than air. That means your muscles are working much harder for you to move, hence requiring more oxygen and energy!
For this reason, swimming is an incredible traps workout for your back as well as a fantastic push day workout or pull day workout.
Whether it’s performing a front crawl, back stroke or breast stroke in the waters, swimming is full of a huge plethora of movements which a bound to improve your technical proficiency!
So if you’re looking for a great cardio workout or even a beginner leg workout of upper-body workout, swimming is certainly worth trying out!
The fundamental reason for people wanting to avoid the gym is simply because it is a closed, public environment full of people who can easily give you odd looks.
Working out at home can solve this issue, and yes while some may argue it is impossible to workout at home given the limited gym equipment available, it is absolutely possible to do so.
In fact if you think it’s difficult to find space to workout at home, finding a nice, private area in your local field or park can work as a perfect alternative!
There are a variety of exercises that you can perform without equipment that will help to improve both your cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength. All you may need is a simple workout mat!
One that is very effective is jumping burpees which can increase your bicep, tricep, quad, calves, glutes, hamstring and core strength if done at a fast pace.
Burpees alongside exercises such as running on the spot, squat jumps, planks, lunges and mountain climbers will undoubtedly have a huge impact on different muscle groups in your body and help your cardiovascular fitness/stamina.
Moreover it is always possible to purchase some equipment at low prices. Skipping ropes, pull up bars, workout mats and even a cheap dumbbell should be easy to get hold of without taking up too much room in your home.
Any form of physical fighting sports does not have to involve actually fighting in a ring. Doing kick-boxing, boxing or even martial arts with a trainer can be a very fun and effective exercise both physically and mentally.
Kick-boxing in particular is well-known for helping to reduce stress, as it involves kicking and punching training that helps to relieve any mental strain that you may have.
On top of this, kickboxing is a sport which can be more effective for reaching your goals of weight loss, stress release, gaining muscle strength or even looking more toned than going to the gym. Why?
The gym is not as mentally challenging as kickboxing. This is especially the case given that most people may go to the gym to lift a few weights, run a bit and go home without any guidance from a trainer.
However, due to the huge library of techniques that must be mastered in kickboxing and martial arts, there is a greater scope to work harder and widen your training schedule.
Add this to the fact that kickboxing and martial arts involves a personal trainer who is willing to push you to the limit, you will significantly notice better results, both more mentally and physically than going to the gym.
There is no doubt that running can be a demanding task especially when you consider the awkwardness of having to run past people in public as well as ensure that your heart does not explode.
Nevertheless, running should be highly recommended to everyone. It is a highly cardiovascular-sided workout which just takes practice to get used to running in public and at long distances.
The great thing about this sport is that it requires little to no equipment apart from some running shoes and a water bottle. Moreover, if you want to lose weight, burn fat and increase your stamina, running is highly regarded as the sport to do so.
