Non-exercise workouts

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redheaddee
redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I HATE exercise. I hate the treadmill, the stairmaster, all but the elliptical. Despite my hate of all things exercise, I have been working out 2-3 days a week for a couple months, which is huge progress for me. (Frustrating. Body is changing, I feel fitter, scale is not moving. But I digress.) I want to find more creative ways to incorporate exercise that's not exercise, while maintaining 3 days a week of actual exercise (this is getting confusing, sorry).

For example, today I ran the tiller for 45 minutes & harvested for another 45. The tiller is big enough it has horsepower guys, NOT usually my chore. My arms & my abs are feeling it, and I sweated more than I have in a while.

Another favorite it chasing my 4 yo through the house for 20-30 minutes. And I mean RUNNING after him, the little booger is fast!

What kind of things do you do that are serious, sweaty, fat-burning non-exercise workouts?
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Replies

  • camrunner
    camrunner Posts: 363
    This isn't something I do regularly these days, but when I was living with my parents I would often spend long summer days outside working on various landscaping projects. Digging, removing various overgrown plantlife, etc.. Hell, even just mowing the lawn with a push-mower. Those were definitely days where I didn't feel a need to get any additional exercise.
  • auntiemsgr8
    auntiemsgr8 Posts: 483 Member
    If you are running the tiller do you live on a farm or other larger property? I have heard flippling big- and I mean big- tires is a killer workout. I am not where I can try it but that might be a change of pace. Or if you do live on a farm could you set up an obstacle course for yourself? If you ahd access to hay barrels or something. Anything you can run around, jump over or climb through. Just some thoughts that are not your typical workout
  • otrlynn
    otrlynn Posts: 273 Member
    Not that it is a whole lot of fun, but washing walls, woodwork, and windows is a pretty good workout, as is scrubbing floors on your hands and knees. Just keep moving and don't take a lot of breaks. Raking the lawn to remove thatch or leaves is also a good upper body and abdominal workout. Pulling weeds and spreading mulch also burns some calories. Use a simple rotary mower to cut the grass instead of an elecric/gas mower.
  • mfkn_Titanium
    mfkn_Titanium Posts: 131
    Sex. Duh. :bigsmile:
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    If you are running the tiller do you live on a farm or other larger property? I have heard flippling big- and I mean big- tires is a killer workout. I am not where I can try it but that might be a change of pace. Or if you do live on a farm could you set up an obstacle course for yourself? If you ahd access to hay barrels or something. Anything you can run around, jump over or climb through. Just some thoughts that are not your typical workout

    I am LIKING this idea!! Yes, we have almost 300 acres total, my yard is 5 acres.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    Sex. Duh. :bigsmile:

    LOL of course, at least 3 times a week...there is another post about increased libido since working out... <--yes. :blushing:
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
    When I think of exercise, I never think of the stairmaster, treadmill or elliptical. Exercise is pretty much anything that gets you moving, not standing on a machine. Don't have much more to add than that -- I run and walk outside for exercise. I enjoy it so it works for me.
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
    I live in the woods...raking leaves!! Shoveling snow in the winter, push mowing the lawn. Have a REALLLLY CLEAN house too! lol Screw that...I'd rather do P90X lol
  • Sarah_Wins
    Sarah_Wins Posts: 936 Member
    Uh, sex.

    That's all I got.
  • sexyred57
    sexyred57 Posts: 7
    sex is my favorite answer, but i think i'm gonna try the tire thing....(yelling downstairs)"Hey dad ! you got any extra tires?!"
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    I would really buy a heart rate monitor. you'll be shocked at how many calories you burn just doing stuff. (I count 'weeding my driveway" because it burns so many calories...it's an overgrown gravel drive and I sprayed it with weed killer and am now using a hand-cultivator to loosen the gravel and dig out the roots... i can only manage about a half an hour at a time! 25 min can burn 200 calories and I feel like I've accomplished something)

    AND the hrm makes it feel like a game..
  • Nikki31104
    Nikki31104 Posts: 816 Member
    Sex. Duh. :bigsmile:

    I heard sex was the best exercise. :smile:
  • Deluxe97
    Deluxe97 Posts: 34 Member
    One word: dancing!
  • apriltrainer
    apriltrainer Posts: 732 Member
    DANCING!

    And I am not talking about Zumba or Jazzercise.

    Dancing socially, with no thought to doing it for calorie burn...

    http://youtu.be/kEqSr5mlA5o

    I remember after I got out of the army- I gained 15 lbs. I took it off quickly just by dancing. I didn't intend to use it as a way to lose weight. I gained 10 lbs and figured I'd get to it eventually, I was young and wanted to have fun. So I took dance classes and everntually was going out dancing almost 6 days a week!

    Lost that weight quick....(of course I was also in my early 20's too, so that's probbaly why. Regardless...watch the video. CAn you imagine how many cals that burns if you danced all night?
  • bizorra
    bizorra Posts: 151 Member
    yardwork, playing with my dogs, cleaning, dancing around the living room, hiking, canoeing,

    I took a ballroom class with my hubby a year ago and it was a CRAZY workout! We were both shocked at how sore we felt at the end *lol*
    I love dancing with little kids, bending over, swinging them around, jumping like I'm just as crazy as them! You can work up a sweat!!
  • tikafly
    tikafly Posts: 184 Member
    Geocaching! (google it)
  • smartandtrim
    smartandtrim Posts: 123 Member
    Sex.

    Um.....

    More sex?

    Um........

    Um............

    Stairs?

    Sometimes I put in my ipod headphones and go in the bathroom and dance around?
  • TXBelle1174
    TXBelle1174 Posts: 615 Member
    Horseback riding burns almost the same amount of calories as sex and one gets you in shape for the other. :wink:
  • slindsey137
    slindsey137 Posts: 214 Member
    Sex. Duh. :bigsmile:
    I have a book called the Sex Diet... awesome!
  • sydnisd183
    sydnisd183 Posts: 247 Member
    how cool.....you're on a farm so you have access to those big tires for flipping....that's a great all over body workout, especially if you squat down and push up as you push and flip the tire over....be prepared for the booty u can bounce a quarter off of lol
  • FrauHausMaus
    FrauHausMaus Posts: 194
    I like hiking because it doesn't FEEL like exercise, but I am torching calories. Riding a bike is the same way. I'm not talking cross country riding a bike, just cruising along at the park or something. Nothing too stressful. Sports can be fun, if you're into that sort of thing. I'd rather go to the gym than play sports though.
  • GurleyGirl524
    GurleyGirl524 Posts: 578 Member
    gardening, swimming, playing outside with the kids, and dancing for sure!!!!
  • jiddu17
    jiddu17 Posts: 187 Member
    I'm with others, sex and dancing.

    One of the best parts about having a four year old and trying to exercise is that he wants to do everything with me. dancing with him, sports in the backyard, running bases or hills at the park. We both get outside, we both get exercise and we get to spend time together.
  • stepgingerly
    stepgingerly Posts: 15
    Another vote for geocaching. Just make sure you have your gps set before you drive to whatever location and start from as far away as you want to walk. You can add as much walking/jogging as you want this way. Or you can pick geocaches that involve kayaking to the location, etc. Last week's involved tree-climbing (unusual). They're rated by difficulty of terrain, so you can choose ones that are hard to get to if you want.
  • xxvogue
    xxvogue Posts: 172 Member
    I used to horseback ride a lot and for long hours (generally training hard to ride horses, so I had to use every muscle). Snorkeling is another great one. I went scalloping in like 7 feet of water last weekend, and several places online said I burnt about 1000 calories doing it.
  • GlitterMamma11
    GlitterMamma11 Posts: 143 Member
    Bike riding has become my new favorite! I have a bum ankle and it makes aerobic stuff no fun. My ankle feels great now. I sweat and I can feel my muscles getting stronger! I've also been swimming this summer and I can really feel it in my arms. We swim out to the buoys and back a couple times and I'm sucking wind when we are done. It's fun and doesn't feel like work!
  • rextcat
    rextcat Posts: 1,408 Member
    mowing a yard with a roatery push mower
  • GlitterMamma11
    GlitterMamma11 Posts: 143 Member
    If you are running the tiller do you live on a farm or other larger property? I have heard flippling big- and I mean big- tires is a killer workout. I am not where I can try it but that might be a change of pace. Or if you do live on a farm could you set up an obstacle course for yourself? If you ahd access to hay barrels or something. Anything you can run around, jump over or climb through. Just some thoughts that are not your typical workout

    I am LIKING this idea!! Yes, we have almost 300 acres total, my yard is 5 acres.

    I just saw something on Pinterest about making a playground for kids out of nature. Use tree stumps for them to jump across ect. You could make yourself a playground! :o)
  • Anyaaaa11
    Anyaaaa11 Posts: 242 Member
    I'm the same way, I dont like doing things if I have to consider them as exercise cause then it just feels like a chore!

    Anyway what I do is go out with my siblings or friends: biking,rollerblading, running, walking, swim or even yoga. These are all WAY too fun to be classed as exercise(: I think of it as "active play".
  • mystikalbeanz
    mystikalbeanz Posts: 192 Member
    My daughters 4 and loves playing the just dance games for the wii so we try to play for 30 mins if not more a night. I also just got her the Just Dance for Kids and she loves it! Im glad that shes up and moving, i burn extra calories on top of my normal workout and we have fun doing it!! When i first starting playing it i was surprise how it gets your heart going when you try to keep up and do exactly what they do! Good Luck on finding what works for you!
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