Your doctor has told you need to work out. But what if you just HATE exercise? Never fear. We’ve got 12 fun ideas to get your heart rate going – from salsa classes to walking the Wal-Mart perimeter…
So you hate exercise. A lot of people agree with you, including cardiologist James Beckerman, M.D., author of The Flex Diet (Touchstone).
“Exercising can feel like work,” he says.
Still, that’s no excuse to settle in on the couch with a bag of chips.
Exercise is too important to your health to skip, Beckerman says. It improves heart function, keeps weight down, build bones and muscles, and keeps you happier.
But a workout doesn’t have to be boring or take hours out of a hectic day. You can fit it in as you’re shopping, playing with the kids or romancing your honey.
“There are more choices than ever to make exercise and activity fun and flexible,” Beckerman says. Read on for his 12 suggestions.
1. ‘Big Box’ Shop-Walk
You make a shopping run at least once a week to “big box” stores like Target, Costco or Wal-Mart, right? So get some exercise while you stock up. It’s a perfect place for a walk.
“You can easily log a quarter mile with one lap around” the store’s perimeter, Beckerman says.
These tips make a big-box workout more effective:
Do your walk after you’ve shopped, so you get the added fat-burning benefit of pushing a heavy cart.
For the first month, limit your distance or time. “Then double it in the following two months,” Beckerman says. By the end of three months, you’ll be getting more exercise than ever.
2. Do the Texas Two-Step
Dancing is the ultimate non-exerciser’s workout, Beckerman says.
It’s fun and helps improve balance, flexibility and coordination. Plus, you can do it on a date with your mate.
For a greater cardio workout, try salsa, hip-hop or belly dancing.
“Dancing burns as many calories as jogging or cycling,” Beckerman says.
If you're 160 pounds, sashaying around a ballroom for an hour will use 219 calories.
Tango, anyone?
3. Become a DIY-er
Homeownership has many benefits, but exercise? Yep.
“Mowing the lawn expends as much energy as aerobic exercise training,” Beckerman says.
How much? For every 30 minutes spent pushing a mower, raking leaves, gardening, vacuuming floors or washing windows, a 150-pound person burns 130-190 calories, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Digging light earth and shoveling snow uses 200 calories per 30 minutes. And sweeping floors, light carpentry, and dusting furniture: 90-100 calories.
“Science supports it,” Beckerman says. “And so will your spouse.”
4. Exer-Gaming
Don’t battle with the kids over too much gaming – join the fun instead.
Manufacturers have been designing more “aerobic” games to get people off the couch and on their feet – with the controller in their hands.
“They make workouts fun,” Beckerman says.
Games like Dance, Dance Revolution by Konami and In the Groove by RedOctane provide a mat that reads your fast-paced dance steps. Nintendo's Wii focuses on the classics, such as tennis, baseball, ski jumping, rope courses, hula hoop, boxing and even yoga. The device "rates" your movement as you use a floor pad or controller.
According to a 2009 American Council on Exercise study, Wii Fit users spent 100 calories every 30 minutes on the device. Of course, actual activities (step aerobics, hula hoop or boxing) burn more calories, the researchers say, but it’s better than couch surfing.
5. Join a Sports League
Even though you’re not a kid anymore, go out for the softball team.
“Adults are finding that joining a local sports league – from flag football to dodge ball – is a great way to commit to regular exercise on a schedule,” Beckerman says. “Injecting a little competition into your workout makes it more exciting than pressing the incline button on a treadmill.”
Plus, having your teammates count on you will keep you motivated to committed to regular practices and games.
To sign up, check out your nearest community center or online resources such as www.sportsmonster.net and www.sportsvite.com.
6. Commercial Workout
Spend TV’s commercial in better ways than fighting an impulse to buy a Sham-Wow: That's the time to lose a pound or two.
“You can burn 20 calories in two minutes pretty easily if you get intense about it,” Beckerman says. Do the math: You could spend 100 calories during an hour of TV watching with 10 minutes of commercial breaks.
By intense, he means anything that will get your heart rate up and form beads of sweat on your brow. So try jumping jacks or some of the fast moves on the reality show, “Dance Your Ass Off.”
7. Take on Tai Chi
This Chinese meditative exercise is slow, low impact and can be done in jeans and a T-shirt. What’s not to love?
Tai chi is a centuries-old tradition of beautifully choreographed sequences, described by some as “moving meditation.” Its purposeful movements isolate muscle groups and improve strength, balance and coordination, Beckerman says.
“It's for mostly sedentary overweight people or those with knee or ankle pain - it’s gentle on joints,” he says.
Tai chi doesn’t burn calories fast, but its health effects are great: better balance, lower blood pressure and heart rates, and stronger bone density, Beckerman says. It’s also a stress-buster.
Tai chi classes can be found at health clubs, martial arts schools and senior centers.
8. Try Yoga
Like tai chi, yoga is low-impact, which makes it a great exercise option for nearly everyone, “particularly for people who aren’t comfortable exercising in traditional gyms or with joint problems," Beckerman says.
Once you learn the movements, yoga can be practiced anywhere – from your living room to a favorite park. All you need are comfortable clothes and a towel or mat.
Its lower-intensity moves won’t burn enough calories to lose significant weight, Beckerman says. But the practice is great for strength training, flexibility and balance.
“Research shows that yoga is also associated with reduced stress, lower blood pressure and improved diabetes control,” he adds.
9. Run a race
Do you need a kick-start to exercise? Sign up for a local 5K or a charity walk. Circle the date on your calendar and start practicing several times a week before the big day.
On race day, crowds of strangers cheering you will probably push you to your own personal record.
“That [thrill] of crossing the finish line, meeting other runners along the way and hearing the cheers of spectators along the route is very inspiring,” Beckerman says.
Races work even for beginners.To get started, check out sites like www.active.com and www.coolrunning.com that list races in your area and training tips.
10. Try Trekking Poles
Even if your neighborhood is nothing but paved sidewalks and streets, trekking or hiking poles could add oomph to your regular walk.
“Research shows that the combined upper body and leg motion increase your heart rate by about 16% and your calories burned by about 22%,” Beckerman says. “The end result: You might burn an additional 100 calories after one hour of walking.”
Buy them at camping and sports stores.
11. Step It Up
A daily dash up your office stairs can burn up to 85 calories in 10 minutes.
“A World Health Organization study found that people living on the fourth floor [tend to] weigh less than people living on the ground floor,” Beckerman says.
Here’s one case where weighing more is a benefit. That’s because heavier people are “lifting” more weight, so they burn more calories.
12. After-Dinner Strolls
Do like Europeans do. Take a walk with your family after dinner.
“Just 20 minutes of strolling at a comfortable pace will be enough to get caught up on your kids’ latest exploits, your spouse’s trials and tribulations at work, or will give you a great chance for introspection and alone time,” Beckerman says. “And you can burn 50-100 calories, which adds up if you keep it going.”
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