Staying Active Outside of the Gym
If you spend an hour of your day in the gym working hard, and then the other 23 hours being sedentary, your fitness goals may be harder to reach. Health and fitness is more than the time you spend in the gym. This is very important to remember especially around holiday time. You could be cheating yourself out of great results from all of the work put in the gym.
Do you go to the gym but then sit and watch tv on the couch for the rest of the night? Do you always take the elevator? Do you have a job where you’re mostly seated? These little things can add up. Making small changes in your day-to-day life can really do wonders for your body!
How to be active outside of the gym:
Take the stairs. I know we’ve always heard this, but it’s really true! Walking up stairs is a great way to get extra exercise. Especially if you work on the 5th floor (if anyone has seen my instagram stories I trek up 5 flights every morning!)
If you are mostly sitting during the work day make sure to get up and walk around every 20-30 minutes. Get up and go to the bathroom or refill your water. For me, if I’m sitting at my desk I make it a priority to drink as much water as possible. This usually ends in me having to go pee and then while I’m up I grab some more water and repeat the process! If you’re allowed to have your phone with you, set a timer for 20 minutes and then when it goes off, take a walk. (I think the Apple watches do this for you-so cool!)
Work by yourself? Add in some body-weight exercise. Do a couple of lunges or squats while you’re waiting for something. Do some elevated pushups against a table or bench top. There are tons of things you can do just using your body with the space around you.
Home after a long day? All you want to do is lay on the couch and binge watch your favorite netflix show? Go ahead and binge, buuut, while you’re doing that take this time to stretch. Sit on the ground in front of the TV while watching and get a good stretch in. Your body will appreciate it later.
Beautiful day outside? Go for a walk! Grab a pet/spouse/friend and enjoy the outdoors with a leisure stroll. Start a dog walking business to get some extra money and extra exercise!
Want to get up and get moving but the weather outside isn’t permitting it? Stay in and clean! Cleaning is a great way to stay active… and keep your apartment clean. Win-win!
*If your apartment is already clean, go somewhere like a mall and window shop. You always see those older people doing hot laps in the mall, follow their lead!
Want to really be active from home? Go on YouTube and search “HIIT workouts at home” and enjoy!
During this holiday season if you don’t have time for the gym, or want to be a little extra active and healthy, use these tips! If you need any more suggestions or help in any way you can always contact me through my Instagram (@fitlifeofcam) or my email (fitlifeofcam@gmail.com). I’m always here to help in any way I can!
I hope everyone has a great holiday season!
Thanks for reading,
Cam