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Healthy habits - what are your alternatives to the gym?

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

Just wondering if there are others like me who don't like going to the gym, but practice other forms of fitness? I don't like gyms because I simply feel like time drags on when I'm there, the repetitive nature of using the equipment, weights, etc. simply is not my thing. Regardless of how great I feel every time I leave it, the mental torture of dragging myself there outweighs it all.

So, what are the alternatives? I was running before started having lower back and hip problems a few years back. I want to start running again this spring, I find it very relaxing and meditative (plus convenient and easy to organize around my family life) but my therapist is not keen on it due to the strain it puts on the joints, so I'm unsure as I don't want to undo all the treatment I had. Then I discovered yoga and had a great time, until my yoga teacher decided to focus more on her business and stop teaching - the best other yoga class I could find is at an inconvenient time

I really want to try something else, something new, and find the activity that'll keep me fit and more importantly - happy in my own skin, especially after the winter. I might be stuck in the same old ideas and can't think outside of the box, so need some inspiration. What are your fitness choices, preferences, activities?

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45 replies

Latest reply was from SW Ann

Isis

Veteran

I also run, and like it, and do yoga and swim and weights and like those....but I LOVE biking! It makes me smile, and makes me feel like a kid again! And it is very low impact!

April

Veteran

I do a brief stretching-and-a-few-exercises routine every morning. I sometimes skip the exercises (crunches and what we used to call "girl pushups" to help tone my arms) but almost never skip the stretching. I go up and down the stairs in my house more than I need to, on purpose. I try to add extra motion to cleaning chores. Every little bit helps...

kellygirl

Veteran

Running seems to get me the most bang for my buck but when my knees start to ache, I grab the in-line skates. It's a good work out and it's fun. I also like to hike--we have a trail through the hills nearby so there's lots of ups and downs. This is about as much out of the box as I get.

Sara

(website)

I found myself with the same dilemma as you about a year ago. I liked my gym, but by the time I drove there after work, worked out and drove home, two hours of my night was already gone! Since then I have entirely switched over to doing fitness DVDs at home and the results have been equal to or better than what I was seeing from the gym. I ordered my DVDs from Amazon after reading a lot of reviews, and the absolute best ones I've found are by Jillian Michaels. I currently rotate between the 30 Day Shred, Burn Fat Boost Metabolism, Shred it with Weights and No More Trouble Zones. You need minimal equipment to do them and they are all less than $10 each. Sorry to sound like an infomercial, but these really have been the only at home workout I've ever done that delivered noticeable results. I also like some of the yoga/pilates DVDs that Netflix offers. It's a good way to try them out before you commit to purchasing.

P.S.-30 Day Shred and Shred it with Weights are less than 30 minutes long, so you can squeeze them in without giving up much of your day at all. For me, that is a huge motivator.

Mellllls

Veteran

would you do weights, stretches, crunches and other gym type exercises at home? i am much more willing to do these in the privacy of my own home in front of my tv than my gym.

Megan

If there's a Lululemon store near you nearly all of them have free yoga classes once or twice a week.

Kim

Veteran

I have a treadmill at home and while I love to run it serves it purpose when I'm injured or it's too cold or hot to run outdoors. I can walk on that puppy and with the incline get my heart rate up to a pretty good rate.

I took a Spin class at the gym too, and enjoyed that but after a year or so it got old (2x a week) and so I'm seriously thinking about adding a recumbent bike to my home. I'd like to try one out first though and see what kind of workout I can get out of it. My brother swears by it (and he can't run anymore due to a really bad back).

I do interval training (sort of like Jillian Micheals stuff) at home as well. And Yoga too on occasion.

MsMary

Veteran

I think it's really important to find a form of exercise you really love. For me, for a long time, it was martial arts. I started taking classes when my son was little, because it looked like so much fun I couldn't bear to be left out. I did it for years and just loved it!

Finally, when I got to be north of 48 or so, I decided I just didn't want anybody to hit me or kick me anymore! LOL So I looked around for something else to do and settled on tap dancing. So. Fun. I take class twice a week and it's a blast AND a great workout.

In between tap classes, I go to the gym and work out with a trainer. Yes, it's wicked expensive, but it keeps me accountable and I'm getting good results. But in the next couple of weeks it'll be time to buy another set of training sessions, or not, and I'm looking at less expensive alternatives, particularly Cross-Fit (hi, Sarah!) and also some of the local boot camps. I think they seem like they would give me some of the camaraderie I loved about karate, with no hitting or kicking! LOL

Elly

Veteran

Most of the things I used to do for fitness were non-gym based and I loved them. I have had health problems with the oposite result--- exercise is safer if I stay in the gym.

Swimming, hiking, snorkeling/scuba, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, bouldering, dance, hitting the heavy bag, running, mountain biking, ect. are all things I used to do that are great for the exercise ADD!

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I used to be attached to the idea of a gym for fitness for the longest time. It's now been at least 7 years since I've been a regular gym member. You can get just as fit at home, but you have to have the focus to do it and not get sidetracked by all the other things you can find to do instead around your house! I started running 3 or so years ago and really like it. Other sports I'll do when weather allows - mountain biking, tennis, swimming and inline skating in summers, snowboarding and snowshoeing in winter. I've always loved to dance. Also yoga is great to do year round at home with a DVD or TV program or just with your own practice if you are knowledgeable and motivated enough. Oh, and there's yoga podcasts you can download free, too! Lastly, weight training is awesome for the bod. We have a home universal gym in CA we were sad to leave behind but the dumbbells and good old pushups and dips and such work great, too. We got an indoor bike for here in FL because summers get you stuck inside for a/c relief. More than any specific thing, just keep moving most every day and hopefully find something you like that gets you wanting to do it regularly!

Refugee

Veteran

When it's not the dead of winter I'm a walker. Being outside in the fresh air helps me out mentally as well as physically. But when the high is 5 degrees and there is 6 inches of snow on the ground, that's just not practical (or safe) so I rotate between a few different exercise DVDs. The variety helps keep me from being bored.

Anonymous

I walk everywhere I can. Also, I would pop an exercise DVD every so often. Primarily, I blast the music and dance my butt off ( seriously).

medusa

Veteran

There are exercise videos on Hulu in the "Health and Wellness" channel (as well as other health-related stuff, like cooking shows).

http://www.hulu.com/genres/Hea.....ss?type=tv

I haven't tried any of these yet, but some of them look like they might be interesting. There's a yoga channel:
http://www.hulu.com/yoga-zone

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I walk and shop - get plenty of exercise that way.

Jonesy

Veteran

I walk the dog 2-3 miles each day, rain or shine, crazy-freezing or not :). We also got a treadmill for home use about 3 months ago; I jog or walk uphill on that 2-3 miles, 4-5 days a week. I also do some yoga each day. I would love to incorporate light weight training into my day, but I haven't gotten into a groove with that yet.

Megan

I have actually just gone back to the gym as I found that incidental exercise + walking wasn't cutting it to build bone mass (something those who are a still in their 20's and those who are in their late 40s-50s need to be conscious of).

I broke my wrist a couple of years ago and the surgeon told me I had osteopenic bones (the precursor to osteoperosis) which is likely because of an illness I had as a teen.

I had an Xray to check my bone density recently and it's not much better- so back to the gym for as much weight bearing exercise as possible.

qfbrenda

Veteran

I love working out to workout videos. http://videofitness.com/ is a great site with tons of reviews and suggestions for what videos are good and which ones to avoid. I much prefer lifting weights as the person on TV tells me to, rather than counting reps with weights at a gym. Besides that, they have check-ins where you can post your workouts for the week. That is great for accountability.

I also want to add a treadmill that folds up to the house. I walk outside whenever I can, but we get ~55 inches of rain a year (I live about 30 min. as the crow flies from Angie) so walking outside is not always fun. LOL

The big thing is finding whatever you love to do. If you loved swimming as a kind, then maybe a local YMCA would be good for you. If running is too hard on you, walking is a great alternative. Even things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking a long ways from stores adds up over time.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I do go to the gym, but I don't use the weights/machines. I take classes there, and I want to start swimming soon.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

Walking, hiking and downhill skiing. Walking is my main form of exercise.

Marley

Veteran

I am a former runner, swimmer and weight lifter - but due to an injury about 7 years ago, I had to completely give up the running and can only do limited swimming and weight lifting. So . . . I took up walking. The town that I live in has lots of hills and so I get a major workout just walking around town. We also have a beach trail that has various sets of steps that go straight up the sides of cliffs - so I do a combination of walking and going up and down the steps. An absolute killer of a work-out! Last week, I went to a stretching class for woman dealing with physical illnesses (I'm not sick - I was just actually taking pictures, but I participated in the class too) and the stretching and breathing were marvelous - I felt great afterwards! I think that the more you can mix up your exercise activities, the better off you are! Have fun trying new things!

Maya

Veteran

I never exercise. Is that weird? I have never even set foot into a gym before and never intend to. It sounds like a torture chamber.

I guess I prefer to create my own exercise.

anne

Veteran

Maya - you do walk a lot in your daily routine, don't you?

Maya

Veteran

I get lots of physical activity just from my existence. I guess what I mean is that I don't go out of my way to exercise.

Desmo April

(website)

Veteran

Hula hooping!!

I also walk a lot too but the hoop is seriously fun.

mamaKate

Veteran

I'm actually surprised I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but cycling is one of my all-time favorite forms of exercise. Granted, you will need to supplement it with something else in order to maintain / build build bone mass, but the upside is that it's easy on the joints.

You can get a really good road bicycle second-hand, and then as long as you get it properly fitted (adjusted) to your body measurements (length of thigh, etc.), and get a proper seat with cut-outs where you need "breathing room," you can be comfortable even for the longest rides.

I love the feeling of freedom I get when I'm out on my bike, and as a bonus there are a number of different workout styles you can accomplish - from a long-duration, fat-burning low-intensity ride on the flats, to heart-pounding intervals, to muscle-building hills, and more. Just be safe around the cars, follow the rules of the road, and always wear a properly-fitted helmet!

Enclosed photo is from a hilly century that I rode with several friends. I am on the left, and on the right is a former co-worker and old-school racer who kept me company on the hills. We are smiling so big because it's only km 20 (of 100). In the background is a view of the beautiful Oakland hills.

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Anonymous

I've found that Curves works well for me. It's not really a gym but you do a circuit of machines for 30 minutes and can add stretching for a few more minutes. It works better for me than just fast walking and I usually can work it into my day pretty easily. It's located only 5 minutes away, so that's a big help. I've improved bone mass, cut % body fat, and feel so much better when going reguarly. It's also social time as I see many women from other parts of my life plus make new friends. Ours has women from 14 to 84 years or more. It has recently added Zumba on certain days, which sounds like a fun workout and a change.
I also use a treadmill at home while watching TV or listening to a book on tape.

Lena

I used to go to the univ.gym, but stopped for various reasons.

I walk a lot. I love to climb hills, and we have a lot of those. Unfortunately you need to get back down in order to climb up - I wish there were a reverse chair lift like for downhill skiing (to take you down, not up).

I do floor exercises at home. However it's always a struggle because it's very tempting to give it up for reading or internet and etc.

I also really like Pilates. It does wonders to save my back and posture, I think. It also teaches you a lot about your body.

anne

Veteran

I ama bit surprised no one has mentioned using a Wii Fit.

I don't personally have one but they are all the rage among my friends here in Aus!

I don't have any new suggestions from my personal experience as I am able to run and do like going to the gym. I have recently changed to a new one which (unlike my previous one) has a creche, a swimming pool and classes. Like Khris I prefer the classes - they work me harder than I would on my own - but do my own thing sometimes if the class schedule doesn't work for me

Kari

Veteran

I do go to the gym, but I also like the following:
* Running on trails. There are some great trails where I live. Unfortunately, where I live it's also very dark during this part of the year, and quite rainy. I prefer to run outside during spring or summer, and don't think it's a smart idea to run after dark (which is about 4:30 or 5 PM now.)
* Biking on trails. I'm not the best biker and am just starting to get comfortable on my bike, but it's fun. There's a great bike trail that heads up to some wineries nearby. My family and I biked up there this summer and did a tasting in our bike gear. I thought about biking to work regularly since I live close by, but decided I really didn't want to deal with traffic and skinny/nonexistent shoulders on the road.
* Hiking - moderate day hikes, and again just during fair weather, but very fun and a good social activity.
* Scottish Country Dance. Very fun, and quite an aerobic workout.

One of my friends has really got into Zumba lately, and there are classes all over and not just exclusively at the gym.

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