You don’t have to go to the gym to be healthy. Research shows that the longest-lived people in the world don’t go to the gym. They live in environments that allow them to move all day long.
According to NPR, standing up and moving your 20 minutes a day has many health benefits, such as helping to reduce heart disease and diabetes risks. If you want to start, you don’t need to run out a sign-up for an expensive gym membership.
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If you’re looking to take your home workouts to the next level, don’t forget to check out our post on the best Tonal alternatives and best compact home gyms for your home that help you build strength and squeeze in a killer cardio session right in your living room!
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Walk
According to the Mayo Clinic, something as simple as walking has many benefits such as maintaining a healthy weight and losing body fat, preventing or managing various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, and type 2 diabetes and improving muscle endurance.
“It is easy to incorporate walks into our daily routine,” said John from Financial Freedom Countdown. He recommends an accountability partner who could be your co-worker for lunch walks or your spouse for a stroll around the neighborhood. You get to spend time with someone you love and get the benefits of improved mood, cognition, memory, and sleep.
Join a Sports League
If you find it challenging to start a new healthy habit, joining a set league or team can help you stay with it. When you know that your team is counting on you and you enjoy the sport, you’re less likely to skip than with group exercise classes.
You can join various teams like tennis, baseball, a bowling league, or soccer. “Pick something you love to get you active while having fun,” said Victoria from Motherhood Life Balance.
Lift Weights at Home
Dumbbell exercises do not only play a significant role in helping a person get both strong and muscular; they also hold other incredible health benefits too. They can help burn fat, improve sleep, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack, and improve circulation.
Furthermore, the CDC advocates strength training and recommends adults partake in at least two sessions per week.
“Another advantage of dumbbells is that they are reasonably inexpensive compared to other strength equipment such as barbells, plates, and machines. They are also mobile, which is hugely advantageous for those who would prefer to work out in the comfort of their own home as they take up very little space,” says Chris at Live Lift.
Yoga
Whatever your fitness level, yoga is a gentle way to move your body with so many health benefits. For example, one study found that sedentary people who were new to yoga had improved their strength, flexibility, cardio fitness, and endurance after practicing yoga for 180 minutes a week.
Annie Brown from Savvy Honey says, “Luckily, yoga classes at the gym or a yoga studio aren’t your only option. YouTube has so many yoga videos with amazing teachers. My favorite YouTube channel is Yoga with Adriene. She has a down-to-earth approach that makes yoga not intimidating, which is especially important when you’re a beginner.”
If you want to give it a try before committing to buying videos, check some out of your local library.
Playing Pokemon Go With Your Kids
How about a fun game of Pokemon Go with your kids or grandchildren?! Did you know that Pokemon Go offers excellent health benefits like helping you get Vitamin D and increasing your daily steps? A published study found that Pokemon Go players were twice as likely to reach the recommended 10,000 steps a day after they began playing the game. The average daily step count increased by 2,000 steps a day.
It’s such a fun game to get you outside, explore cities on vacation or in your region while moving your body and spending quality time with your family.
Dancing
Dancing is another simple yet effective workout you can do outside the gym. You can do it anywhere! Another great thing is that anyone can do it; you don’t have to be the best dancer in your city to dance. Like Nike says, just do it! As long as you’re moving to a rhythm, you’re dancing.
Dancing is a full-body workout that is good for your heart, helps keep your muscles flexible and coordinated, etc. Dancing is also helpful for anyone who wants to tone up and lose weight. A 30-minute dance session can help you burn over 130 calories – about the same amount if you go jogging.
Be In Nature
In a study of 20,000 people; researchers discovered that people who spent just two hours a week in nature reported significantly better mental and physical health than those who did not.
“If you are experiencing burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, or the like, I encourage you to add two hours of walking in nature to your weekly schedule,” says Leonardo Estlow.
You can also go for a hike, bike, or rollerblade; there are many things you can do to get outside and expose yourself to the benefits of the outdoors.
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels.