We all know that exercise is necessary. But do you avoid it simply because you hate going to the gym? You’d exercise, if only you didn’t have to be intimidated by all those machines and the Hulk-like figures hovering around. But don’t fear, Superheroes. The gym does not have to be your Kryptonite. Just try one of our 10 Workouts for People Who Hate the Gym – no treadmills or weight machines allowed.
1. Make winter work for you.
Don’t spend your next snow day inside making hot chocolate. Take it outside by having a snowball fight or going sledding. Don’t forget to race back to the top for a good hill workout! If it’s too cold to exercise outside safely, you could also hit the rink. Recreational skating is a low-impact cardio activity that can burn up to 810 calories an hour. Best of all, you can skate to cool off in the summer, too.
2. Dance the night away
Dancing is a great way to burn fat, increase muscle tone and improve flexibility. So make your weekends work for you and hit the club: a 125-pound person burns about 180 calories in just 30 minutes of fast dancing. Just don’t spend hours at the bar nursing a sugar-laden cocktail. House music not your scene? Salsa dancing can burn 600 calories an hour and is a great way to turn up the heat between you and your partner. For an even sexier workout, take a pole-dancing class to boost your confidence both in and outside the bedroom.
3. Protect yourself.
There’s nothing more empowering than knowing you can beat someone up if you’re ever in danger. Learn some self-defense moves while you exercise at a karate or kickboxing class. Not the aggressive type? Tai chi is a far mellower martial art that’s often called “meditation in motion” and can help reduce stress.
4. Sign up for an obstacle course race.
Does the thought of competition get your blood pumping? Skip the 5K and sign up for an obstacle course, which can have you climb fences, jump over cars and race through a smoke-filled house. You might have to go to a gym for this one, but some have obstacle courses to help you train. If not, try one of the many free programs from major race providers like Tough Mudder. The best part? Many races encourage you to compete with a team, so recruit a friend.
5. Relive your childhood.
Nobody told you to exercise when you were 8 because you did it naturally. Playing was exercising – and thankfully, it still is. If you loved hula hooping, trampolining or skipping rope, jump on the bandwagon of these latest fitness crazes by finding DVDs or dedicated classes. Prefer team sports? Sign up for an indoor soccer or basketball league, or just join the pickup game on the corner.
6. Play laser tag.
Barney’s obsession with laser tag on How I Met Your Mother could be the key to his fitness. Laser tag is not only great cardio, but it also works out your mind as you struggle to dodge the other team’s bullets. Laser tag can also be a good team-building exercise to add to your next office retreat.
7. Pretend you’re in the circus.
Remember the first time you went to the circus and were awed by all the cool tricks the performers did? Now you can learn them yourself! Trapeze schools are popping up all over the country, as are aerial silk classes in which you perform acrobatics while hanging from a special fabric. Both are incredible ways to improve your core and upper body strength. In fact, doing one turn on the aerial silk is the equivalent of doing 20 pushups. For an intense, fun workout you can brag about to your friends, circus is the way to go.
8. Scale a wall.
Rock climbing is a great way to exercise in the winter, and it’s even cooler when you can get out and climb a real rock. Join a local gym to lose weight, improve cardiovascular health and increase muscle tone – both in your arms and your legs.
9. Hit the waves (kind of).
Pretend you’re in Hawaii with the latest fitness craze: indoor surfing. Fans use stationary surfboards that mimic surfing without water, so you can paddle and ‘pop up’ onto the board. Indoor surfing has benefits similar to outdoor surfing, like cardio, major core strength, better balance and more muscle. Eager to try it? SurfSET is the most popular avenue, but gyms like Crunch Fitness have also added classes in select cities.
10. Rock out with Pound.
Want to be a rock star? Turn that dream to life with POUND, which uses weighted drumsticks to play your way to fitness. Combining Pilates-inspired exercises with constant movement and an inability to cheat since you’re literally making noise, POUND is an intense workout. Bonus? Since all it requires is their Ripstix, you can work out from the comfort of your own home. The class is also offered at several gyms around the country.
Did these ideas help? What’s your favorite workout? Let us know in the comments, on Facebook, or Tweet us @SuperheroYou!
Photo Credit: Lizzie279 via Compfight cc
Written by Sasha Graffagna