Here’s How To Stay Fit If You Hate Working Out

Staying fit doesn't have to mean going to the gym! If you're looking for quick ways to get moving and stay healthy, here's a list of our favourite exercises to try to make sure your body gets the workout it needs.

Even if the thought of working out at the gym doesn't appeal to you, you can remain fit. Maybe it's just too much work for you and you don't have the time. No matter what your reason is, there are ways to get in shape that don't involve drowning in a lot of sweat or hard-core workouts.

We will go over some of the best exercises for people who don’t like working out to give you a good head start on your journey towards achieving better health and wellness.

Jogging On an Incline Treadmill

If you’re the type who enjoys being alone while listening to some music, calculate an ideal treadmill pace and speed setting that achieves a reasonably high heart rate. Also, experiment with increasing the incline on the treadmill for added difficulty.

You can start with an incline treadmill for 15 minutes at 10 degrees, and then go up to 20 degrees for 20 minutes until you reach 30 minutes of jogging time. The incline should be challenging but not impossible for you to complete without resting between steps.

Walking With a Weighted Vest

Walking with a challenge! You can walk around the block or even around your house while wearing a weighted vest. If you live in a large city, this can be a great way to burn calories and increase your endurance. But you will still have to pay close attention to your pace so that you don't overexert yourself.

Start by walking for 15 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and then keep going until you've walked for 30 minutes. The weight should be heavy enough to make you sweat, but not so heavy that you struggle to walk.

Push-Ups

The best part about this activity is that it doesn't require any special equipment or space—just time! As you are in a plank position, keep your hands slightly apart from each other and slightly wider than shoulder width. Lower your body down by bending your elbows until your chest is almost parallel to the ground. Push yourself up back to the plank position. Stay upright from head to toe and keep your core engaged.

Bear Crawl

This exercise helps to build strength in the knees and hips while also building up your core (which helps with balance). It's a great way to start or end a workout.

Set up on all fours with hands and feet set apart. When you crawl, move like a bear where the opposite arm and leg move together.

Sit-Ups

Sit-ups are an effective upper-body exercise that works the abs, the lower back, and the obliques. They can be done anywhere—on a couch, at work—and are easy to do in just 30 seconds or less per exercise.

While lying on your back, make sure to bend your knees for optimal results. Your hands should be crossed across your chest or behind your head. Using your core muscles, lift your upper body slowly up and toward the knees. Exhale as you rise and take a deep breath as you lower yourself back down.

Crunches

Crunches are another great exercise for targeting the abs and lower back muscles. They're also a good way to strengthen your heart while getting rid of excess weight around your middle!  Position yourself like in a sit-up. Lift only your upper back off the floor while maintaining a flat lower back. Inhale as you raise yourself and exhale as you slowly lower yourself back down.

Squats

Squats are another great lower-body move that targets quads and hamstrings while also strengthening your core muscles. Start by standing with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward. Lower yourself by bending at the hips and knees while keeping your chest lifted and core engaged. Go as low as you comfortably can while maintaining proper form, then return to a standing position.

Lunges

Lunges are a great lower-body exercise that works all of the leg muscles but focuses on quads and hamstrings. This is one of our favourite exercises because it hits all areas of our muscles. Stand up straight with your legs apart and your hands on your waist for balance. Take a step forward and bend your knee while the other leg is stretched back. Go back to your standing position and repeat with the other leg.

Burpees

Burpees are one of our favourite exercises because they help us to burn fat and tone our muscles. We've found them super challenging but also very rewarding! Start from a standing position, squat and drop to a planking position, then immediately jump back your feet towards your hands. From there, jump up into the air and repeat the entire sequence.

Exercise With a Jumping Rope

This one requires some space, but it's easy and fun. If you have kids in your home they may even enjoy participating as well! This workout will also help you work on your coordination and flexibility, two things that are crucial when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Simply grab a jump rope swing the rope over your head and jump over it as it comes around toward the ground. Start with small jumps and gradually increase speed as you get more comfortable. Remember to land softly on the balls of your feet while keeping an upright posture.

Jumping Jacks

If you're not into jumping rope, try jumping jacks instead! It's just as good for working out but doesn't require any equipment beyond your body weight. This exercise helps develop leg strength and core stability.

To start, stand up with your arms on your side and start jumping with your legs spread out while raising your hands above your head at the same time. Return to your neutral position and do as many jumping jacks as you can in a minute.

Dancing

Dancing is an excellent way to get in shape and stay active—and it's much more fun than running on a treadmill or lifting weights. You don't need any formal training or special equipment to dance and you can learn basic dance moves by watching and following videos online. You can also incorporate some of the exercises above with dancing. It'll surely make your workout fun, get your heart pumping, burn calories—and best of all, it works!

Make Your Workout Routine Interesting

Try different exercises each time you work out. Exercises like burpees and push-ups are great for building strength and toning muscles; other types of exercises like jumping jacks and squats will burn more calories and help improve flexibility and endurance levels in your legs (and abs).

Add variety to your routine by changing the days or times of day when you exercise, or by including different types of exercises in the same workout (for example, doing squats one day and lunges the next).

If you're feeling like your workouts aren't challenging enough, try adding some interval training into your program where you work at a faster pace for short bursts. Or maybe try mixing up different types of exercises with each other so that every day is different! Or if you want to mix it up even more, try taking an interval run so that every time you go out on a run or walk around the neighbourhood, it's an entirely new experience.

Find a way to make exercise fun! This might mean making it a competition having a friend join you, or using equipment you've never used before.

Fitness and health are something that every person should take seriously because staying healthy will allow you to live longer and greatly improve the quality of your life. Contrary to popular belief, you can get in shape and be healthy without the need for it to be painful—or keep up with the grunting of the people in the gym!

With the ideas listed above, you no longer have to shy away from staying fit. You can begin adding exercise to your life in a way that works out for you. Use them to enjoy reaching your goals, even in the comfort of your home and at your own tender time.