Non-Gym Exercises? (Perpetual Motion)

dpurzer

I just restarted focusing on achieving goals after a period of "backburner workouts".

I have set up a disciplined yet life-accommodating workout routine that will eventually get me there. However, as part of this lifestyle change I also wanted to reach out to you in order to better understand how you are filling the downtime gaps. I am prone to fall into ruts of couch-potato'ing, snacking, or videogaming when I am not actually working out which diminishes the returns of the hard exercise. Of course there are chores (cleaning, yardwork...) that can be augmented in order to count for this but "what else?".

In short: How do you keep in motion without actively thinking about "working out" to reap calorie burning benefits?

Does this even make sense?

xAmeenahx

Hi there! I completely understand where you're coming from. I used to veg out in front of the TV and lay out on the couch a lot. I will admit that I do go to the gym everyday, but I also enjoy music. I find myself mindlessly walking miles around the city because I know that I will also be listening to the music as I go. Not only am I enjoying myself, but I am also getting some exercise in. Hope this helps.

zyxst

I think I know what you mean, but correct me if I'm wrong. I used to sit at my PC and game/watch videos or movies 12-14 hours a day. I rarely left my chair unless I had to get food or use the toilet. A couple years ago, I couldn't go outside for daily walks during the winter (no boots, circulation problems cropping up, continual snowing/raining, no waterproof clothing). I started walking inside while watching Netflix. I went for 10-15 minutes, then sat down for a while, then go up and walked more. These days, that's reversed - I have to remind myself to sit down if I'm not eating or working and sometimes I even walk and eat if the food is portable. My walking is slow pacing, nothing strenuous, but I feel it's 10x better than sitting on my butt like I did before.

dpurzer

Thank you, I listen to audio books while walking. As soon as the weather gets better I will return to that too.

sc487

I listen to the zombies run app when walking and audiobooks as well. Love playing Kinect games too. The ones that keep my heart rate up.

meritage4

wash the dishes by hand. Do laundry and hang it out-or air dry inside, fold it,, Go grocery shopping
call a friend and go bowling or for a bike ride
walk the dog
Handscrub the kitchen floor or clean a bathroom
vaccuum
garden
mow the lawn
take some kids to the park to play or try backyard soccer

Build something
paint the house

dutchandkiwi

walking everywhere, if not possible cycle. I have talken up trying to walk around the house when thinking is needed.
I have a multistorey house - I will walk up the stairs whenever something needs to be moved a level.
Keeping my hands otherwise busyso they can't hold a snack; writing, knitting, sewing, drawing.

hypodonthaveme

Find a hobby you like : fishing, woodworking, playing an instrument, volunteer at a local library or school, quilting, crocheting ( what I do), knitting, painting, etc. there's tons of things you can do to are up some spare time so you aren't tempted for extra snacks. It depends on what you like and what you can do.

Christine_72

I very rarely sit down for long during the day. I walk when I'm reading mfp on my phone. I walk when I'm talking on the phone or waiting for the kettle and microwave. I pace up and down the hallway when I'm folding clothes instead of standing over the basket.
I jog in place during tv adds. On top of this i do purposeful walking throughout the day aiming for a minimum of 2500 steps each time.

FitPhillygirl

Since having a TAH 2 weeks ago I'm still limited to walking for another 4 weeks. I walked 250 steps a few hours after I came out of surgery and haven't slowed down since. I'm now able to walk between 5 and 10 miles per day as long as I wear my abdominal binder on the longer mileage days. Although I did like to walk before I had surgery, I never really thought of it as an excercise that I like doing everyday as I preferred doing heavy weightlifting and HIIT workouts more. However, being able to walk a lot everyday has really helped me during this long recovery period. Walking has not only helped maintain my overall fitness level, but my mood as well. I now plan on implementing walking into my daily routine even after my recovery.

Christine_72

You'd be surprised how many extra calories you can burn just from walking