I know so many girls who love the gym, but that doesn’t mean we all do. I’m not a gym-hater per se, but I must admit, it’s not my favourite form of exercise. Anyway, the other day while getting together with the girls for a spot of lunch, we were chatting about our preferred methods of working out. I was surprised to learn that like me, quite a few of my friends aren’t keen on the gym.
This got me thinking about what the best methods of exercise are for anyone who isn’t a fan of the gym. Just in case you’re not so keen on spending your time on a treadmill, I thought I would share them with you.
Trampolining
You might think of trampolining as being something that tends to be aimed at kids, but that’s not necessarily the case. I recently joined my local sports centre and found that they run adult trampolining classes – I can’t wait to give it a go. Especially as, just 10 minutes of bouncing about is the equivalent of doing 30 minutes on a treadmill. You can opt to attend a trampolining class, or you can head to your local trampoline park and book out a bounce mat for an hour. How you choose to workout is up to you. Trampolining offers one of the best methods of exercising. After a few minutes bouncing you’ll be as hot and sweaty as you would after half an hour in the gym. You get to burn more calories in a shorter time frame, and you get to bounce about, what’s not to love?
Meditational exercise
A lot of us make the mistake of thinking that meditational exercise – yoga, pilates, tai chi, etc., doesn’t offer a good workout. However, that’s not actually the case. Meditational exercise can be a fantastic way to stay in shape. Traditional yoga, for example, may not increase your fitness level, but it can help to boost your muscle strength and body tone. This is because many of the exercises focus on strength building and toning, as well as increasing your flexibility. If you’re going to start yoga, it’s best to opt for private yoga sessions instead of group classes, the same goes for Pilates or tai chi. This means you’ll have your instructor all to yourself and can get all the help that you need. Once you’ve learned basic yoga, you can then opt to take part in yoga fitness classes. This type of yoga is faster and is based more on cardio than flexibility; it offers a fantastic workout.
Aqua aerobics
If you love working out in the pool but aren’t a fan of swimming aimlessly up and down, aqua aerobics could be perfect for you. The great thing about water aerobics is that there isn’t just one type, there’s multiple ones. From aqua Zumba to aqua yoga, there’s plenty of options to choose from. Plus, in most aqua aerobics classes you’ll burn between 400 and 500 calories an hour. It’s not too intense, it’s fun, and you won’t have to worry about getting all sticky and sweaty – what more could you want?
So there you have it, three just as effective alternatives to working out at the gym.
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