Exercise: one of the hardest things to do when you have a couch and a phone. It’s tough to work out, and it’s even harder to stay motivated. However, just because you’re not at the gym doesn’t mean you can’t work out. Working out takes time, and starting at home can get you motivated to start going to the gym if you want to. Here are some steps to get to the gym or to start doing more.
Play some music
Everyone has a pump-up song, and now you can use it to get fit. Get into the habit of playing it every morning or night. While the song plays, do something active until the end. Want to strengthen your core? Do sit-ups or crunches for the entirety of the song. Feel a little weak-armed? Do push-ups or planks while you jam out. If you want to ramp up your workout, make a workout playlist. Soon enough, you’ll get into a routine and exercising will become second nature.
Take a class
Have you ever wanted to learn how to box, how to shoot a bow and arrow or maybe throw an axe? Congratulations! There are classes for all of those things all located in or around Clemmons. Tap That Axe Throwing and TITLE Boxing Club are both located right here. Taking a class allows you to try something new while also exercising your body. It also takes the pressure off of having to design your own workout, all you have to do is listen to the instructor. If you don’t want to do something as extreme as axe throwing, the YMCA also offers a variety of classes from ballroom dancing to CrossFit. Finding a class you enjoy and sticking to it can help you get fit in no time.
Download a workout app
Nowadays, almost everyone has a phone on them at all times. Do yourself a favor and download a free workout app. Oftentimes they offer quick and easy-to-follow workouts that are designed to target chosen muscle groups. Workout apps also take the stress away from designing your own workout by doing it for you. They also send you a ton of frankly annoying notifications until you do the workout. If you’re the kind of person who knows you won’t get active unless you’re constantly reminded about it, downloading one of these apps may be the best way for you to get fit. Daily Workouts Fitness Trainer and 7 Minute Workout are both good apps to look into.
Stand up
Yeah, you read that correctly. Stand up. Sitting down or laying down all day isn’t good for your body, so every time a Netflix episode ends or a commercial comes on, stand up and stretch a little bit. Make a conscious effort to stand up at least once an hour and walk around. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s much better than sitting hunched over your phone all day. It doesn’t require a drastic rearranging of your life, just putting your feet on the ground and moving.
Park farther away (just not at night)
Every time you go out to eat or go to the mall, find the parking spot farthest away from the entrance. Now you get a little workout when you walk from your car to the door and vice versa. It may not seem like much, but the extra distance can add up. It’s also a super easy way to get some extra exercise in. Walking is one of the best and easiest ways to stay fit. You also just did a nice thing. Now someone else who may need the closer parking spot has one to park in. You were a Good Samaritan, and you got your steps in.
Starting to try and work out may seem daunting, but it really only takes a few lifestyle choices. Doing a few things to change your activity levels could change your life. You don’t have to lift weights for five hours every night to be fit; you just have to move your body. Go ahead and try one of these options for a week. You’re guaranteed to feel better.