Active in NWI: Ditch the Gym

Active in NWI: Ditch the Gym

The gym? It’s not everyone’s idea of fun. There are some people, however, who can spend hours in the gym prancing away on the treadmill and lifting like everyone’s watching, and snaps to them for their motivation and dedication, but not everyone is like that. Some need different types of stimuli to keep our attention and make the workouts not so droll. And did you know that there are so many things that you can do to burn calories that aren’t boring? It’s not a new topic, but let’s face it, when it comes to working out, we tend to forget the variety of options available to us and we end up drawing blanks.

So to refresh our memories, here are some fun things that you can do to get up and moving that don’t make you check the clock every few minutes.

1. Play with your kids. Kids are full of energy and it’s a win-win if you wear them out – you get to bond with your children, they fall fast asleep that night, and you burn calories.

2. Pick stuff up and put stuff down. Rearrange your furniture, help a friend move, or bring out your outdoor furniture from storage. You get stuff done in a variety of ways.

3. Quit meeting for drinks. Instead of going out with friends to the bar or coffee shop, take the group and go play Frisbee golf or football. Maybe go for a walk or run. Or head to a night club and dance like a maniac on the floor.

4. Take a hike… in a local park. The Dunes is a beautiful spot to explore and all those hills will give you no shortage of sweat and beautiful views.

5. Go a’LARPing. Say what? LARP, or Live Action Role Playing is where people act out adventures that they create in their minds. You might be wearing a heavy suit of armor or swinging a heavy sword or running away from a dragon, all of which will add to the calorie burn. Seems silly to some, but if our imaginations can be active, so can our bodies. Keep an open mind, people.

6. Walk. It’s easy and necessary. Instead of driving to your next destination, walk there if the distance is short enough.

7. Join a sports league. There are plenty of inter-mural leagues around you that you can try out that will give you plenty of exercise. Softball, volleyball, basketball, football… have a ball! Ha! Sports pun.

8. Clean. Your car needs it, your house needs it, and you need it. Get to scrubbin’. Extra points if you do lunges while loading the dishwasher and dance while vacuuming.