BEST TIME TO START GETTING FIT IS AFTER THAT BIG CHRISTMAS DINNER, BUT SOME OF US PREFER NOT TO GO INTO A SWEATY CROWDED GYM BUT WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES FOR EXERCISING? HERE ARE JUST A FEW. WITH ALL WORKOUTS MAKE SURE YOU’RE FIT TO DO THEM BEFORE TRYING THEM BY ASKING YOUR PHYSICIAN.
Written for Glide
By Maria Baker
1. Jogging – The first thing you should do before anything else in the morning is go out jogging. The fresh air and different levels of footing around you will help not only to wake you up but to give you different measures of exercise for your legs that you can’t get from a treadmill without constantly adjusting the settings. Needless to say, weather and other situations can cause discouragement to get out there, so for matters like this, I would recommend using your phone for apps for jogging. For a fun workout try Zombies, Run for Android and iPhones.
2. Fitness games – Wii Fit, Zumba series and Kinect Sports are just a few that can help with getting that minimum of 30 minutes workout. With just a one-off payment for the game(s) of your choice, in a long run (no pun intended) this choice is much cheaper and less of a hassle than going to the gym.
3. Skipping – Sounds like what little kids do right? But jump rope is actually really good for cardio.
4. Alternatives – Try writing down all the methods you get to places, if you use the lift or escalator instead of stairs, all those kind of things and replace them with more leg work. Try getting off the bus one stop earlier and walking the rest of the way for example.
5. Bike ride and rollerblading – whichever you choose, try making a little trail for you to do or instead of taking your car or public transport try biking it.
6. Workouts online – Search for some workout at home online, there are many sites out there that give you a few workout methods that can be easily done at your comfort at home without the need to go to the gym.
7. Classes with friends – you can either join a club or class with a fitness group or you can do it at home with your friends to make it more enjoyable for all of you to do.
Maria Tzing Fung Baker 