Finding New Ways To Stay Active

If you’re following a workout routine for a long time, you may find yourself feeling bored or unmotivated. You may even think about giving up all together. The stress of keeping a workout regimen going can be too much if you don’t break it up and find new ways to stay active. Here’s a few ways to stay active without necessarily “working out”.

Yard Work/House Work

Last week, I had to clean the carpets in my house and it was HARD. We have an indoor dog and she has access to all rooms of the house so you can guess that there’s hair EVERYWHERE. I also have thick hair so girls, I don’t have to tell you that there’s hair every where. We are blessed to have a house with big rooms so that means a whole lot of vacuuming. I broke into a sweat and my arms were sore by the time I was through.

I like to help my husband with the yard work and I’ll occasionally mow the lawn. We have a push mower so again, extra work! I will also cut down the brush and weeds we have growing in the backyard so I’ll take the machete to the them or the big clippers. All this is burning muscle and is definitely a workout!

All these go to show that you shouldn’t feel bad because you “missed a workout” to deep clean your house or your yard. It is work because you got active, increased your heart rate and you weren’t still! I wouldn’t make this a main source of exercise but if you are really scrubbing hard, I would give yourself a break.

Playing With Your Kids/Pets/Family

So I don’t have any children yet but when I volunteer with the Children’s Ministry at church, i would always need a nap when I got home. There was so many activities that required dancing and jumping that I definitely got a workout in. I also remember having a Wii in youth group and dancing with your kiddos is definitely a cardio workout!

My dog Snowflake is usually hot or cold. She can lay around and be fine snoozing all day or she’s sprinting around the house chasing us down. With a backyard, we are able to get outside with her and play chase with her. If we really get into it, we get a good sweat out of it too!

Basically, I’m trying to let you know that small things with a lot of energy can be a HUGE help for you. Playing with your kiddos or dog is good for both parties and it’s also a good bonding moment. If your kiddos are still in their strollers, taking them on a stroll is still good! It gets you out of the house and may even lead them to taking a nap. That’s good for everyone!

As for the older kids (or very competitive couples), playing a game of basketball or football after dinner or on the weekends is a great way to get moving. Again, it is a good bonding opportunity and you still break a sweat! There’s been evenings where a friendly game of tennis has turned into a sweat soaked workout!

When you’re starting to workout, it can seem like a major task when you’re trying to get a workout in. Now don’t get me wrong, these shouldn’t be ALL your activity but it’s a nice break from a rigid workout program.

What are some of your favorite ways to get active?

What non traditional “workout” really gets you sweating?