How to stay fit without hitting the gyms or yoga centers?

How to stay fit without hitting the gyms or yoga centers?

This post is part one of a two-part post on "how to stay fit without hitting the gyms or yoga centers?" Click here to read part two.

Let's be honest, gyms and yoga centers are not always fun. People set their alarms at 6:00 or 6:30 in the morning so that they can complete their routine before their office time. And, this is one of the biggest reasons why people are not able to stick to their fitness journey, or they don't even think to start one. As per a statistic, only 45 million adults, i.e., approx 14% of the population in the United States, have a gym membership. And, only 4.5 million adults, i.e., approx 7% of the population in the UK, have a gym membership. Who knows how much of this population would be utilizing their memberships. But, that does not mean only these many people stay fit.

Who says that staying fit has to be painful? You can stay fit without hitting the gyms or yoga centers. Try a few of the below-listed fun workouts, and you won't even realize that you are working out.

1. Dance it off

Bored with your same old gym routine? Well, doing an activity that's both physical and fun can be an excellent way to stay fit. And, what's better than dance when it comes to being physically active and having fun at the same time. Every dance form will do, it can be Salsa, Ballet, Jazz, Zumba, Pole dancing, or any other. The motions of dancing can work on every minute muscle of yours that might even be missed out while exercising at the gym.

2. Let's team up

Everyone will agree that playing sports can be a great way to stay fit and have fun simultaneously. If there's any outdoor sport that you enjoy, then try being a part of the local team that plays that sport. You can also organize some pick-up games with your friends and family. You start a team game, and you will be all sweating within the next 15 minutes. That's the extent up to which playing a sport can help you to stay fit.

3. Go skating

Skating is a superb alternative to running. Both forms of skating: inline and ice, are a good way to burn calories. An hour of skating can burn anywhere around 300 to 600 calories. Skating is a form of aerobic exercise that keeps your leg muscles strong and helps to make your heart stronger. It also helps to improve your muscle endurance as much as it enhances strength. And, it increases your coordination, balance, and agility.

4. Unleash your inner kid

Remember the days when you'd swing across the monkey bars, climb the rope all, or push your bestie on the balance beam? Relive your childhood memories and perform a powerful cardiovascular workout all at the same time. You can also try Hula-hooping, the craze from the 1950s, which has reemerged as a great fun way to slim your waist, hips, buttocks, and thighs. It is also beneficial for toning your abdominals and lower back muscles. You can try rope-jumping as well. Only 15 minutes of rope-jumping can burn about 200 calories.

5. Go rock climbing

Rock climbing can be one of the most physically demanding activities that a person can do. It requires a lot of strength, flexibility, and cardio. But, it also provides more benefits as outcomes. It is one of the best workouts in existence for the arm, back, and forearm. Also, it helps you overcome many mental challenges once you reach the top of the wall or hill. Rock climbing can be done indoors at climbing gyms or outdoors in the mountains.

6. Try Parkour

Parkour is a form of exercise and play that is growing in popularity. Parkour is a natural and effective movement, that's it. It is like an obstacle course while moving from one place to another. It uses running, jumping, and swinging to move your body around different places. There is no one prescribed method for performing Parkour exercises. And, it can be done by any age group as it is just a mindset of a person to figure out a way to traverse an obstacle.

7. Become a badass in martial arts

In addition to giving you confidence and strength of protecting yourself, martial arts provide one hell of a workout. Whether it is Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Capoeira, Judo, or Karate, there's a martial art out there that will make you feel like a badass. Martial art uses a lot of repetition and discipline to train your mind and body that helps you enhance your body's coordination and balance. Also, martial arts are a form of low impact workout, so they are great for people with chronic pain.

8. Take a hike

Strap on a pair of shoes and start exploring the world around you. Hiking gets you out of your typical routine, and it is incredibly active until you choose the flattest trail. Hence, it is liking killing two birds with one stone. It provides health benefits like controlling body sugar, losing some extra pounds, and improving heart and lung capacity. So if you love to be outdoors and want to stay fit in a fun way, then take a hike.

9. Start cycling

Looking for a fun aerobic and cardiovascular activity, think no further and start riding on a bicycle. You can lose anywhere around 400 calories by cycling an hour. Some other significant health benefits of cycling include increased cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, flexibility, and joint mobility. Regular cycling improves your heart, lungs, and blood circulation, reducing risks of cardiovascular diseases. When you ride on a cycle from point A to B, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of surroundings and also save money on traveling.

10. Go swimming

Swimming is more than just an activity. Hitting the waters has long topped the list of best and fun workouts because it's a low impact exercise that builds endurance and lowers blood pressure and cholesterol level. Plus, the resistance of water forces your body to put extra efforts to complete each movement, thereby toning your biceps, triceps, stomach, chest, back, and leg muscles. A 155-pound woman can burn about 223 calories in 30 minutes of swimming.


Even if you want to start a fitness journey or already have one, doing some additional fun activities is always an added advantage. Performing fun workouts to stay fit always helps to stay fresh and motivated throughout your fitness journey.