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Staying fit and healthy can help you stay healthy mentally and emotionally too. If you are eating the right food and keep yourself fit, your body will get stronger and capable of fighting various diseases. Doing regular exercise is the key aspect of staying fit. Being healthy will not only help with weight loss and but also make you feel active and hearty. It is suitable for your muscles and bones and also reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
One general misconception related to staying fit is that people associate it with going to the gym regularly. Some people link it with steroids, even though a person can be healthy without the application of artificial means.
Besides, there are various other ways to stay fit outside the gym also. There are people who don’t get time out of their busy work-life schedule, or some don’t have enough money to get a subscription of the gym. These people must not ignore the alternate ways of staying fit and keeping themselves healthy.
Here is the list of 7 most effective and practical ways to stay fit outside of the gym.
1. Walk whenever possible
“Walking is the most effective activity to begin your journey of losing weight or if you have any medical conditions which don’t allow you for an intensive workout,” says Peter Morgan, head of research department at CrowdWriter. You can start this healthy habit of walking whenever possible. If you are going for weekly grocery, save some gas money and go by walk. Another way to add more steps to your day is to park your car in the other street and walk through to your street. Don’t keep sitting when you are on the phone, start walking around even if you are at your home.
2. Use the stairs as much as you can
Using the stairs is a great way to stay fit and to accent your core muscle strength. It tones and sculpts your body by engaging all the major muscles in your lower body. A daily routine of taking stairs can lower resting heart rates and improves balance. It helps to intensify your leg muscles, including feet and toes.
Calories burnt by each trip of going up and coming down the stairs can be calculated by using stairs calculator. For instance, while climbing stairs, it requires 8-11 kcal of energy per minute, which is more than other moderate gym exercises. A person who takes the stairs, whether to reach his apartment or office tends to be fit and has a higher aerobic capacity.
3. Swimming is the best way
Swimming gives you a whole body workout because you need to move your entire body against the resistance of water. It is considered as a productive all-round activity because of its following benefits:
- tones your muscles and enhances their strength
- helps in maintaining a healthy weight
- improves coordination, balance, and posture
- alleviates stress and keeps body functions to perform robustly
- improves flexibility providing good low-impact therapy
- works on your inside by lowering blood pressure and controls sugar level
- a good option for people with asthma
- Improves your sleep
4. Go for hiking
Hiking is not only suitable for staying fit, but it is a way to feel good inside and out. Hiking the mountains and spending time outside enhances mental health and general well-being. The more time you spend in nature, the more associated you are to get calm, relax and healthy.
The health benefits of hiking also include weight loss and lowering body fat. Hiking is regarded as slow and steady activity; therefore, it is less likely to cause any major injury in comparison to running and cycling. This outdoor activity has plenty of other perks such as fresh air, beautiful views, the sound and smell of nature.
5. Join a sports team
The benefit of exercising or working out in a group has a more powerful impact in comparison to doing it alone. In the gym, you are surrounded by other members, but outside of the gym, you have to find means for working out or playing in a team. You can join a sports team as most communities have recreation leagues for players in every zone for locally famous sports like basketball, softball, soccer, etc.
As fitness is not only about physical health, it’s about sound mental health also. Sports can bring this aspect in your life as by joining a team or league, you make new friends. Playing with friends and competing for victory can get your heart rate up and also strengthens your mental toughness.
6. Use a fitness app
With the advent of innovative technologies, various mobile applications can help you to become fitter and healthier. Numbers of these fitness apps are free, so you don’t have to spend for getting membership or subscription. Your smartphone or smartwatch becomes your PT (personal trainer), which can easily keep track of your progress.
“These fitness apps can inform how much you have improved in your training efforts,” suggests Julia Andrew, manager of the IT department at Premium Jackets. If you are going out running or cycling, the GPS of your smartwatch can track your mileage and speed. They give you an automatically generated progress report of your activities.
7. Benefiting from work out DVDs
For those who want to get the same fitness and exercise tips as in gym at their home, can benefit from such DVDs. This way, you can improve your fitness level without coughing up for a gym fee or hiring PT. The convenient exercises guided in such DVDs will help you to stay fit without leaving the house.
To assure that you stick to a program, its best to choose one exercise at one time you are familiar with. They guide you with the most effective home workouts for various fitness levels. Therefore using these DVDs to enhance your advancement can be a modern and effective way to stay outside of the gym.
Author Bio:
Amanda Jerelyn is currently working as a Lifestyle blogger at King Essay. She has a vibrant background in health and fitness and suggests exercise routines at different fitness levels. Her passion is to motivate people to keep fit and understand the lifestyle, diet and exercise regimes.