Not a gym bum, but would like to have a gym-sculpted bum–and sculpted everything else? Here are some exercise regimes to get you healthy and fabulous sans treadmills and dumbbells
Walking
Sometimes it’s hard to find time for exercise. Getting to the gym, changing, working out, showering, changing again, then leaving the gym takes a lot of time and energy. It’s easy to put it off until tomorrow… and tomorrow… and tomorrow. So walk everywhere you can. Take the stairs, leave your car in the drive way, or enjoy a warm summer evening stroll. It’s not only a great way to improve your health, but it’s also good for the environment’s health.
Cycling
Running is a great way to burn fat, improve cardio, and strengthen your heart. But it can be hard on your knees, shins, and feet. Cycling is a great alternative. It offers the same benefits as running (fat burning, cardio improving, and heart strengthening) while relieving the stress put on your body, making it more likely that you will continue with exercise instead of having to nurse sore knees, shins, and feet. Just be sure to invest in a padded bicycle seat and/or padded bike shorts. A sore bum will keep you off the bike as sure as stiff knees will keep you off the treadmill.
Yoga
Though not usually seen as a high impact workout, yoga is a terrific regime for continued exercise. Yoga is great for beginners, and then can be continually adjusted as fitness improves. Beginning with simple stretches to improve flexibility, your yoga can eventually progress to hot yoga”doing yoga in 100 degrees”where your endurance is put to the test. Stretching may not seem like a hard work out, but in stretching and holding poses you are strengthening your muscles and working your heart. You may be surprised to find that after a particularly advanced session, your heart rate is up and you are sweating as much as you would be from lifting weights.
Swimming
Breaking a sweat is the sign of an effective workout, but getting hot and sweaty isn’t exactly a draw. Swimming laps is an ideal whole body workout: it’s like lifting weights, running, and doing crunches all in one easy and fun workout. You work your body as much as lifting weights, running, and doing crunches all in one easy and fun workout. You work your body as much as in any exercise regime and it can keep you from feeling too hot or sweaty, likely encouraging you to exercise for longer. Caution: Even though you don’t feel hot and sweaty, you are still sweating. Remember to keep hydrated as with an exercise regime.
Play
Never underestimate the importance of play. Whether it’s playing an organized sport or an impromptu pickup game, getting out and playing a game is an excellent source of exercise. It not only works your whole body but is fun and makes exercise enjoyable, encouraging a healthy lifestyle not only in your own life, but also in the lives of your friends.
It is important to keep your exercise regime interesting. Any combination of these whole body workouts will be good for your health and also for your attention span.
