Exercise that doesn't involve the gym - HELP!

ReeseG4350

Machka9 wrote: »

Walk longer.
Walk faster.
Include hills and stairs in your walk.
Ride a bicycle.

Of all the very good advice you have received, this is undoubtedly the best. You say you walk 30 minutes a day. Is this a casual pace? Very brisk? What kind of distance does that make? If you're doing a steady, consistent 8 km (5 miles) in that 30 minutes, you are in pretty good shape. If you are only getting only 1.5 km/1 mile in that time frame, you need to pick up the tempo as well as the length of time you are walking. Set targets for yourself. If you are only walking 1.5 km you might want to look at a first target of around 3 km in that 30 minutes. Gradually work your way up both in speed and distance. When you get comfortable at one goal marker, set a new target. 3 km in twenty minutes, or 5 km in forty.

Additionally, you want to look at other exercise to accomplish other goals. Most people look at a flabby belly and tell themselves they are fat even though they may be less than a stone overweight. The problem there is muscle mass vs fat. The belly is flabby and, especially if you have been overweight or out of condition for some time, the muscle tension is just not there. Look at doing some crunches and weight lifting.

If you're not accustomed to doing crunches the first thing you need to know is that old... OLD concept of putting your hands behind your head and sitting straight up from a prone position is absolutely WRONG! Two things to realize: Sitting up with your hands laced behind your head tends to cause you to pull up, throwing elbows forward and putting ungodly stress on your neck; Secondly, if you are sitting all the way up as in the old-school sit-ups, you are passing the stress point on the muscles on which you actually want to focus. About half-way up is generally about the check point. Knees bend will also help to take some stress off of the back and, if you are not yet in shape to do the crunches without a bit of help, find something to lock your feet under until you can do without the 'extra hand'.

Weightlifting: No. You don't have to go to a gym to lift weights. And you don't even have to have weights at home to do it. Maybe you have a small toddler or a dog running around your feet. Use that wiggly weight. Lift him (gently) up and over your head and down again ten or twenty times (unless the dog barfs on you half-way through!) Or get a couple of market bags and fill them full of canned goods or rocks. With arms at your sides, lift forward from the elbows. Do several reps then shift. Raise your arms out to your sides at shoulder height.

And, when you just don't think you can get that walk in today? Get on your bike and ride! Put in a good, brisk 12 or 16 km/8-10 miles. If you can't do that much in the beginning, don't worry. As with all fitness programs, start small. Work your way up gradually.

Lastly, there is an old truism that says it takes about 13 weeks for your body to develop a new habit. That includes exercise. Working out daily can be a chore but, after three months, it can seem as natural as breathing. You may even feel 'lost' without it.

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I have a home gym now but that was not always the case. And, in the beginning, I started small. I parked my car a longer distance from work, on the top level of the parking garage, and I walked the extra distance. And I walked the steps back up to my car at the end of the day. Little things, like kicking soda pop in favor of flavored water, can and do make big differences. Just don't expect everything to happen overnight. Commit to the change and it will happen.