non workout workout?

i HATE exercising... so i'm in need of some new suggestions. exercise that doesn't even feel like exercise. i know it's kind of to each his own but i'll take just about anything and give it a shot! any classes anybody takes that are SUPER or any other sport or anything that they love? :) let me know!
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Replies

  • spiregrain
    spiregrain Posts: 254 Member
    I hate hate hate feeling like I'm exercising, and I have a baby so everything I do has to be something I can step away from quickly. Here are some things that I have been able to deal with:

    Wii Fit. I love video games so this one is good for me. And there is a lot to chose from.

    Walks. You'd be surprised at how much you can burn going for walks, even kinda short ones. I put my son in a carrier and his 16 lb weight makes me burn a bit more. Ostensibly I am going on walks because I am a botany nerd and I want to look at the plants around here... so I tell myself.

    Hula hooping. Dumb dances I make up on the spot to songs I like. Anything low impact that I can do while watching TV. Anything where I get to be creative or mentally engaged (see above) because then I don't spend the whole time listening to my own broken record that just loops "uuuughhhh I'm eeeexercising" the whole time.

    Riding a bike to commute. I work harder this way because I'm always running late. And doing it daily forces me to get the workout in. Twice! Parking farther away from where I'm going. Forcing myself to take multiple trips up and down stairs as a part of whatever I'm doing that involves stairs (laundry, etc.) Basically whenever I can fit in exercise incidentally, I can.

    Doing basically anything I can romanticize for myself. I did fencing for a while. I thought it would be cool to know how to fence! Next week I'm starting boxing lessons. I like to pretend I am training to be a villain from a James Bond film. It's hard work, but for me, being able to use my imagination about it helps.

    Any time I exercise, no matter how wimpy, I pat myself on the back excessively. It helps me keep doing it.

    Finally, if you hate to exercise, I can't recommend yoga highly enough. Some kind of easy hatha class with a GOOD instructor, and tell them beforehand about your situation if you can (especially if you are not ready to be pushed to hard but want to find a way to be able to commit to it). If you try it and it's no good, try another instructor or another place. Good beginning yoga should feel like the awesome stretches you do right after waking up. It's really rewarding because you can see the progress pretty quickly as you work towards being all pretzelly. I've done it off and on for many years and after a good class you feel awesome. My housemate who can't run or do a pushup or anything is doing it and she has gotten pretty toned and lost about 10 lbs (she is also working on the weight loss via food).
  • kateanne27
    kateanne27 Posts: 275 Member
    I like to borrow my stepdaughters JustDance games. Its very fun.
  • kannemollen
    kannemollen Posts: 40 Member
    thank you thank you thank you! those were all AWESOME!!!
  • Boolie88
    Boolie88 Posts: 13
    ZUMBA!! I love Zumba, it is so much fun, and you barely realize you are burning tons of calories! I have done classes, the kinect game, the wii game as well as the dvds, and I love them all! Zumba, Zumba, Zumba!!!
  • michaela531
    michaela531 Posts: 44 Member
    ZUMBA! I go every Tuesday and Thursday at my gym. At first I felt like I couldnt do it because I didn't know the steps, but by the 2nd and 3rd class, I got the routine down and I love it. If you like to dance, or just to move, it's fun. And, because everyone is there to stay fit or lose weight, they aren't looking at you. They are just as desperately trying to watch the steps of the instructor. It's so much fun!
  • jillyjosie
    jillyjosie Posts: 1 Member
    I have immersed myself in dance central for Xbox kinect and that had been how I've lost most of my weight besides changing my diet. You do the workout mode, enter your weight and it tells you fairly accurately how many calories you've burned. It's so much fun and I still look forward to doing it since I got it for Christmas 6 months ago! Right now I am trying to get perfect scores on all the levels and will not buy the next one til I do! That helps to keep me doing it regularly- the excitement of getting new songs and dances! Good luck!
  • kannemollen
    kannemollen Posts: 40 Member
    haha i am the typical white girl who CANNOT move at ALL! i wouldn't mind giving it a shot at home though... to see if maybe i can try to learn some basic steps. anybody know any good online videos?!

    i have a WII so I'm thinking i'll see if i can rent some different games for it, I think that would be easy and fun!
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    Dancing?? A lot of people like Zumba... you could also use a Wii or Kinect and play one of those dancing games. Or jazzercise lol...

    What about going for a bike ride? That's fun to me. Or perhaps hiking somewhere interesting. There's also swimming. you don't just have to swim laps. You can go to a deep pool or the lake or ocean and just swim around lol. I think that's fun.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    oooh here's another one. Roller blading. Lol.
  • kannemollen
    kannemollen Posts: 40 Member
    i've been wanting to try jazzercise for a long time!!! i don't know how to rollerblade! isn't that sad? haha, i used to all the time as a kid but a few years ago i went out and bought new rollerblades and couldn't figure out how to do it! maybe i'll have to try it again, haha.
  • How about swimming? Go to a local YMCA or even the beach and swim around for a few hours, youd be surprised at how good of a workout youll get and because theres no resistance you dont feel like youre exercising while doing it
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    I really MUST take up jazzercising.
  • nadiB
    nadiB Posts: 283 Member
    Horse riding, Walking the dog or a fun bike ride :-)
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Hiking is my favorite non-workout. Take a camera. Or do like I did yesterday and take a jug and pick wild berries. :happy:
  • FFfitgirl
    FFfitgirl Posts: 369 Member
    Roller skating!!!
  • bms34b
    bms34b Posts: 401 Member
    I love hiking, walking, and swimming...although to be perfectly honest, I usually get distracted during all of them. My most recent favorite is this game in the pool (obviously with someone I know well) where we bounce a ball off of a wall and try to catch it first...we end up wrestling, and by the next day, I'm pretty sore from trying to sprint across the pool, jump up, or trying not to drown.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Go dancing, play tennis, play volleyball, play kickball, play basketball, go hiking, canoeing/kayaking, etc.
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    join an ulti frisbee team. at higher levels the sport is non stop sprinting.
  • LearnFromTheRed
    LearnFromTheRed Posts: 294 Member
    Wii Sports Resort. Sword fighting, boxing, bowling, imminent muscle exhaustion :D
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Sports? I play on a sand volleyball team and it's a lot of fun, and playing in the sand is a great workout. If you can find people who are interested, there are a lot of bars that have sand volleyball leagues. If that's not your thing, I know there are tons of leagues for all different kinds of sports. Kick ball, frisbie, softball, etc...
  • TwinkieDong
    TwinkieDong Posts: 1,564 Member
    haha i am the typical white girl who CANNOT move at ALL!

    feeding into the negative stereotype. haha

    just find a sport or something else you like.
  • FaerieCae
    FaerieCae Posts: 437 Member
    Prancersize..... look it up :laugh:
  • I've doing this workout with friends that uses a sword....it's actually really fun and we get into it. It's called Steel MBS and its a bit like tai chi but you use a real sword for balance. It's really fun and it feels more like you're a ninja or in a video game than working out!
  • DoctahJenn
    DoctahJenn Posts: 616 Member
    Martial arts! Taekwondo was the best workout of my life, and super fun. Now I do karate, which is less aerobic and more strength/endurance, which is easier on my joints and lower back, and STILL super fun. It's hard to remember you're working out when you're throwing kicks at a heavy bag.... or at someone else! ;)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I like to borrow my stepdaughters JustDance games. Its very fun.


    Redbox rents Wii (XBox) games .......not a big selection.....but worth a look to seek if it's something you like.

    I find that if I click with an instructor .....exercise is tollerable. Give it enough time & you will develop a habit.

    Mini-trampolines are fun....I just park in front of the TV and go
  • NewCaddy
    NewCaddy Posts: 845 Member
    Water Aerobics. I take a class at the local Y and while I can feel the burn, while I'm in there, it just feels nice. The hour flies by.
  • sewerchick93
    sewerchick93 Posts: 1,438 Member
    burlesque and belly-dancing...a lot of fun
  • bambishealth
    bambishealth Posts: 134 Member
    They have Zumba workouts on Youtube if you are like me and don't like to "exercise" around others. Honestly, though it's a great workout, Zumba is just dancing. It feels like fun.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Zumba is great fun and doesn't feel like exercise (except for the sweat!).
    Hiking - it is weather dependent but I think I'd do it even if it was not good for my physically, because it is so good for my mental health.
    Bike riding - I sometimes mountain bike with my husband, but I admit I prefer to just ride around for fun. It makes me feel exactly like it did when I was kid. I've always loved bike riding.
    Gardening and yard work - I love these because I can see immediate results. Not on me, that takes time like any exercise, but still there is a sense of accomplishment to a well groomed yard or fresh veggies or flowers.
    Dancing - despite having done Zumba for a few years now, I am a terrible dancer. But it is still really fun.
    Active video games - Wii, Kinect - I love to play these with my grandsons.

    It's important to remember that all movement is exercise. It doesn't have to be done just for 'exercise'.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    haha i am the typical white girl who CANNOT move at ALL! i wouldn't mind giving it a shot at home though... to see if maybe i can try to learn some basic steps. anybody know any good online videos?!

    i have a WII so I'm thinking i'll see if i can rent some different games for it, I think that would be easy and fun!

    You ever see a baby with music on?

    they bounce? they find the rhythm regardless.

    EVERYONE unless there is a neurological issue at hand- can improve their dance abilities- now- getting over your own inhibitions about it? that's usually the bigger issue.

    It's a skill- almost anyone can do it- and improve. It just takes time and practice.

    Zouk
    Baracha
    Bowka
    Zumba
    Bellydancing

    all fun ways to get moving without getting crazy with it.