While the gym is a fabulous place to build muscle and increase stamina, having an active lifestyle also contributes to your overall fitness. Just think, you could get a killer workout at a fitness center and then sit around all day being sedentary. Or, you could get that killer workout and follow it up with constant activity and movement built into your life. The second choice, is obviously a better one.
Walking.
Walking seems like a very tame form of exercise in small doses, but it can have a huge effect on the body in large doses. Whether you’re cruising through the mall, a theme park or around the neighborhood, the more you do it … the better you’ll be. Check out the best walking shoes for women right now or cruise around looking for mens shoes. Walking to and from your car at work or to and from rooms in the house might not make a big difference to your body, but getting in 10,000 steps a day walking around your local park or heading into town to get odd things will definitely make the difference.
Walking instead of using your car is a great way to do this. Plus, it’ll save you fuel, and it’ll give you a little extra “me time” during the day; you could bring your mp3 player and listen to some music or The Fitzness Show podcast while you stroll along. If you combine walks with necessary daily tasks (perhaps even picking your kids up from school so that you can all walk home) then you’ll notice the difference very quickly. Before you know it, you might find that you’ve turned that light walk into a fast walk. Later, that fast walk might become a light jog, and so on.
Everyday chores.
If you’re somebody who likes to put off doing anything once you get in from work because you’re tired and you’d much rather sit on the couch then this is entirely understandable but also an entirely wasted opportunity to strength training. Everyday chores such as mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, and rearranging furniture all add to your physical activity levels. Sure, they won’t equate major muscles or calories burned, but they definitely CONTRIBUTE to your overall fitness level. Every step, every lift, every bend counts.
Make it work for you.
If increased fitness is your main goal, than you need a routine that works for you. Even simply finding some time to do indoor lunges will make a difference. Perhaps you could look into local clubs for sports that interested you back in high school or college. Rowing, cycling, soccer, and even martial arts are all physical activities that get your body moving and will help you get in shape. If you love those sports then you’ll be working out without feeling as if you’re working out; you’ll just be having fun playing your favorite game and meeting new people. It’s good to make connections with new friends because these people will help encourage you to keep up the good work; they’ll ask you to come and train with them, and it’ll be harder to turn down that invitation than it is to turn down the voice in your head telling you to exercise. Joining a club, even if it’s for something such as yoga because you hated popular sports like basketball or baseball. Every movement counts!
