Workouts outside of the gym

elzianne
elzianne Posts: 52 Member
edited October 3 in Fitness and Exercise
Unfortunately, I don't have room in my current budget for a gym membership, and I'm curious how many other people out there are exercising outside of the gym / fitness classes. I'd love to hear people's favorite workouts and get ideas of new things to try so I don't fall into a rut!

So, what are your favorite workouts?

I've been doing running, Jillian Michaels DVDs, pilates DVDs, hiking, and occasionally kayaking.

Replies

  • thinby40
    thinby40 Posts: 113
    I like the 30 day shred and Leslie Sansone walking DVDs!
  • armacd
    armacd Posts: 95
    I'm currently doing P90X/Insanity hybrid workout, I love it, great variety. I also really enjoy riding bikes, so now that its finally cooling off here in AZ, I'll probably start doing that again :)
  • SusanneWhittington
    SusanneWhittington Posts: 339 Member
    Leslie Sansone walking DVD's, Zumba DVD, Power 90 DVD, but we have a treadmill and a Bowflex at home too, so plenty of opportunity to work out.
  • exercisarah
    exercisarah Posts: 37
    www.bodyrock.tv - it's free! and it definitely works!! i was a skeptic at first because the workouts are usually relatively short, but I have the best body I've ever had thanks to bodyrock! it's intense! i usually do around 20 minutes of interval rope jumping afterwards
  • ckisme
    ckisme Posts: 15
    P90X, Insanity, TurboFire. Love them all.
  • junekmoore
    junekmoore Posts: 25
    I go to the park and run up and down a hill there. I brisk walk for about an hour and I jump rope there. I go to a Zumba class twice a week at $3.00 a class.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    I don't really like the gym. I do teach spin, but other than that, I prefer to be somewhere else!

    Dance, cycling, and SUP are my favorites.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Unfortunately, I don't have room in my current budget for a gym membership, and I'm curious how many other people out there are exercising outside of the gym / fitness classes. I'd love to hear people's favorite workouts and get ideas of new things to try so I don't fall into a rut!

    So, what are your favorite workouts?

    I've been doing running, Jillian Michaels DVDs, pilates DVDs, hiking, and occasionally kayaking.
    Look for a Planet Fitness. It's $10 a month for membership. Not my choice of gym, but if that's all I had, then I would do it.
  • Jarvis95
    Jarvis95 Posts: 157 Member
    i love running on stairs outside...it's a great workout!! used to have a great set in the park where i used to live :D
  • elzianne
    elzianne Posts: 52 Member
    www.bodyrock.tv - it's free! and it definitely works!! i was a skeptic at first because the workouts are usually relatively short, but I have the best body I've ever had thanks to bodyrock! it's intense! i usually do around 20 minutes of interval rope jumping afterwards

    I haven't tried BodyRock yet, but I've come across it and heard great things about it. I noticed most of the workouts use a sandbag –– did you buy one from their website or is there another place you recommend getting one? Or can you make one yourself?
  • Circa1964
    Circa1964 Posts: 225 Member
    I live a little out of town and work evenings so the gym membership is inconvenient for me. I walk/run around my neighborhood. I have an elliptical and a weight bench with dumbells also. I have a step and sometimes do a little step aerobics at home and have been known to set up an circuit training system where I do a couple of minutes of cardio (step, jump rope, jumping jacks, or elliptical), then do some dumbell exercises and resistance (squats, lunges, push ups, abs etc...). A couple of minutes of each and rotate them around.

    I work for a school where they give us an hour a week to exercise as long as we do it there. We have an bowflex that gets used as well as very long hallways. It's easy to walk both indoors or out. We also have stairs. I have been known to go up and down the stairs while walking.
  • Sassi50
    Sassi50 Posts: 67 Member
    I use my elliptical every morning, and hike up and down the Niagara Escarpment. I also use a pilates DVD and have the Valerie Bertinelli one as well. I was doing a lot of walking in the summer as.
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
    Walking, hiking and biking are all awesome
  • LadyNeshoba
    LadyNeshoba Posts: 159 Member
    I do Belly Dance once a week

    I also like using my stairs at my apartments. I will run up and do lunges all the way across to the next stairs and then walk down and then jog across and then do leg extensions all the way to the top (Really really works your bootie XD) and then lunges across again :)

    Somedays I'll do yoga vids and pilates vids on Netflix

    But for other stuffs I just go to my gym at the apartments for.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
    i hike up hills..sometimes i run..like trail run but on trails that go uphill.
  • Edithrenee
    Edithrenee Posts: 546 Member
    cathe friedrich step dvds or her sts dvds are good they are for building muscle, and i have circuit training dvd from her. i also jog or walk
  • elzianne
    elzianne Posts: 52 Member
    I don't really like the gym. I do teach spin, but other than that, I prefer to be somewhere else!

    Dance, cycling, and SUP are my favorites.

    I've always wanted to try SUP, but I'm so clumsy that I'm nervous to try. Is it as hard to balance as it looks?
  • exercisarah
    exercisarah Posts: 37
    www.bodyrock.tv - it's free! and it definitely works!! i was a skeptic at first because the workouts are usually relatively short, but I have the best body I've ever had thanks to bodyrock! it's intense! i usually do around 20 minutes of interval rope jumping afterwards

    I haven't tried BodyRock yet, but I've come across it and heard great things about it. I noticed most of the workouts use a sandbag –– did you buy one from their website or is there another place you recommend getting one? Or can you make one yourself?


    right now i've been using a duffel bag filled with my handweights and medicine ball, lol. but i did just recently order a sandbag after training with my homemade one for about 5 months, but i've still been getting good results even with just the duffel bag filled with weights!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    I don't really like the gym. I do teach spin, but other than that, I prefer to be somewhere else!

    Dance, cycling, and SUP are my favorites.

    I've always wanted to try SUP, but I'm so clumsy that I'm nervous to try. Is it as hard to balance as it looks?

    it's not bad -- some people do fall off at first, but oddly I SUPed over 7 mos and was several months into an advanced short board before I ever fell off in the lagoon (Now in the ocean, I fell off literally the first instant I stood up, but that's a different story, ha). There are people that do yoga on the boards too (not me, I can't even do yoga on terra firma).

    When you start with a rental, they will give you a long and wide foam board that is very stable (albeit slow). Once you get the hang of it you can start renting boards of different shapes, and if you get into it you can buy according to what you want to do with your board (flat body of water, ocean/surf, race) etc.

    It's so much fun! A great core and upper body workout. You should see my back! It's ripped from SUP, and my arms are in nicely toned (not big). I haven't done any regular upper body workout in over 2 years, other than SUP, and even when I did previously teach 3 group strength classes a week (that was 2005-2009), my back was not like this.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Regarding cost of a gym membership, YMCAs will often give free or discounted memberships to people who volunteer as little as 2 hours/week -- check out your local Y and see.

    I've been with various Ys around the country both as an employee and a volunteer, and have received better benefits (discounts on programs, preschool, free childwatch, family membership) as a volunteer in San Diego than I did as an employee in Dallas.
  • Sookie_182
    Sookie_182 Posts: 72 Member
    I have a spare room at home so what I do is bring in my cd player turn up the music and get going!! makes it much easier when I have my favourite songs going! Y a could even make a specific work out playlist or cd with some good music ta work out to!
    Even cycling or walking I do bring my mp3 player with me and I find it really helps ta push me on! :smile:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I am 50 yo and other than the occasional hotel workout room I've never stepped foot in a gym, but I've exercised and stayed fit most of my adult life. I like DVDs and I've done a lot of them (several Jane Fonda, Tae bo, Bodies in Motion, Step Aerobics, Pilates, etc). Currently I do Zumba and it's my favorite. SO fun! I've also owned and used machines (treadmill, stair master, universal gym, eliptical, exercise bike). I've also hiked (still do this often), biked (still do this rarely), ran, walked, and roller bladed. I've lifted weights, done calethenics, jumped rope, played softball, swam. And owned several exercise "gadgets" such as a thigh master, resistance bands and one of those crazy things you hook to a doornob.

    You do not need a lot of money or a gym to get and stay fit.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
    read my workout blog below for examples of efficient workouts you can do at and around the house....with little or no equipment.
  • FAVOLOSOMII
    FAVOLOSOMII Posts: 188 Member
    I workout on my Wii and then use a Thighmaster (I know I'm dating myself) and resistance bands. I also have some DVD's like everyone else...
  • robinogue
    robinogue Posts: 1,117 Member
    I gave up the gym over a year ago, I go to the park and run, jog or walk. I go to local stairs and go up and down. Have hand weights at home. There are many things you can do at home.
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