If you have ever seen an advertisement for a ‘Fun Run’ and thought: “I couldn’t imagine anything less fun”, then you’re not alone.
The hard truth is that exercise is a must when it comes to all-round health. It strengthens your bones and muscles, increases your focus, reduces risk of heart disease, helps weight control, improves the quality of your sleep, aids mental health and can even prevent depression.
A lot of us have said, “I don’t have the time to exercise”. In reality, you don’t have the time not to. Luckily, there are fun ways you can exercise, sometimes without even knowing it. Here’s 10.
- Stairway to Health
Skip the lift and take the stairs instead. Indeed, climbing stairs is considered a vigorous form of exercise. If you want to make it a full-blown workout you can climb up and down the stairs for 10 minutes, or see how many times you can walk up and down your office building (perhaps give it a miss if you work in a skyscraper). Nevertheless, just taking the stairs rather than a lift expends on average seven times more energy. After a while, you will start taking the stairs on autopilot and it won’t even feel like work.
2. Go for a Bike Ride
Cycling is becoming increasingly popular among Londoners, and it’s no surprise as to why. Taking a bike to work is a refreshing alternative to stuffing like sardines into a tube, and with signalling problems every other day, it could even save you time. On weekends, you can get your dose of nature by exploring country roads or one of London’s many beautiful parks.
Cycling, unlike running, is low-impact. This means it is particularly beneficial for those with temperamental knees, weakened joints or age-related stiffness.
3. Meet Face-to-Face
The benefits of meeting people face-to-face are well noted. Technology has been a huge time-saver but nothing beats in-person connection. If you have a business partner or friend that works or lives nearby, give that skype call a miss every now and then and go meet them in person. If the walk’s a little too far, you can meet halfway in person. Part of being an ‘active’ person is not always marathon training but simply finding reasons to sit up from your chair.
4. Frisbee
The rules are simple, no skill is required, and the equipment is cheap. What more is there to love? When the rain takes its annual leave, grab a couple of colleagues or friends together and play a good-old game of frisbee. While there is an ‘Ultimate Frisbee’ community that takes the sport seriously, for most of us it is a light-hearted bit of fun that everyone can participate in. Yes, even those of us (me) who were picked last in gym.
5. Class Pass
One of the best ways to schedule in exercise without dreading it is to book in a class. Learning a new skill can take the attention away from the sweat and on to the skill.
Your local gym may offer up free classes or a trial period to try out a variety of new sports, or you can become a member of schemes like ClassPass. A kickboxing class can double-up as anger management if things are really tough at work, or you can embrace your inner yogi in hot yoga.
Dance is another great activity since most dance-classes allow free trial sessions so you can dip your toe into swing, salsa or break dancing before committing to one.
6. Let Your Phone Be Your Personal Trainer
Exercise doesn’t have to be confined to the gym or the great outdoors — you can now exercise from the comfort of your own home. Gone are the days of 80s spandex fitness DVDs. With the internet at our disposal, YouTube and Apps are the way forward for a guided workout — and the choices are infinite. There are numerous apps with ready-made routines or ones that you can re-organise to suit your preferences. Apps, such as JEFIT Workout Tracker and My Workout Planner also allow you to add your own exercises, for the ultimate form of personalisation.
7. Go Gamer
Can’t drag yourself from gaming on the weekends? Luckily, you no longer have to choose between gaming marathons and breaking a sweat. In fact, there are two ways you can combine them. First, games like Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) or the virtual reality escapism of Beat Saber (if you’re really techy) are fun ways to get your heart rate up. Another way is to create forfeits or rules for the games you already play. A fan of Grand Theft Auto V? Make a rule with a friend that you have to do 10 sit-ups every time you die, or pledge to play standing up.
8. Take a Hike
Sometimes a half an hour workout after work just won’t cut it. If you are in need of a fitness reboot or just some quality time outdoors, take a hike. Grab a group of friends or your partner and make a weekend of it in the breath-taking Scottish highlands or the numerous beautiful routes scattered around the UK. It will be a welcome break from fluorescent screens and the CO2 of the city.
9. Join a Club
Are your rugby skills getting rusty? If you miss the camaraderie of school sports clubs, there are plenty of amateur clubs across London. From netball to hockey, you can flex your competitive muscles. Some companies hold sports teams, but if yours has yet to do so, you can help set one up yourself. Even start-ups can rally together to play against others in your serviced office space — this is also a fantastic way of networking.
10. Buddy Up
The most run-of-the-mill gym session can be made more exciting if you bring along a workout buddy. Someone is there to keep you accountable and to stir up some friendly competition. Seeing your partner do that extra couple push-ups can push you to do more — just to show them up. You would be surprised how motivating your ego can be. Indeed, research has backed up the claim that those who exercise with friends or work colleagues enjoy it more — and this makes it much easier to stick to the habit.
It’s not business as usual…
Incorporating interesting new ways to be active doesn’t just aid your physical health, it helps you get to know yourself better. Trying new things stimulates creativity, which can rub off into other areas of your life. So, when it comes to breaking a sweat, being open-minded pays off.
