10 creative ways to exercise
Whether you're strapped for time or need a little motivation, getting creative
with your exercise plan can help you be more active. Here are 10 ideas to inspire
you.
- Pack a portable gym. Perfect for travelers, water-filled
weights and resistance bands enable you to strength train anywhere. If you
travel frequently on overnight business trips, book a hotel that has gym facilities
or a pool for variety.
- Let the gym come to you. If you have colleagues or neighbours
who also want to be more active, try organizing a lunch-time on-site fitness
class. Some cities have mobile gyms on wheels that will drive to you!
- Turn your commute into a workout. If your workplace isn't
too far away, switch from driving or public transit to cycling, running or
walking instead.
- Sneak in 10 at a time. If it's hard for you to allocate
half an hour or more for exercise, squeeze in just 10 minutes at a time. Try
10 minutes of stretches and sit-ups in the morning, a brisk 10-minute walk
with the dog plus 10 minutes of weights in the evening.
- Change the way you socialize. Given the choice, catching
up with your girlfriends always trumps working out. So, why not combine the
two? You could join a tennis club and catch up while you're waiting for your
court. Or change the venue of your weekly moms' group get-together from conversation
at the coffee shop to a walk in the park.
- Multitask. Seek ways to be active while you're doing something
else. For example, do toe raises while talking on the phone, lunges and squats
while waiting for the microwave or kick-boxing moves while watching TV. A
trip to the mall can become a power walk, and a dog walk can become a jog.
- Take an active break. Plan your annual vacation around
an activity: a yoga retreat in a sunny clime; a bike tour of France or Italy;
a kayaking adventure off the Pacific coast; or a hiking trip through one of
Canada’s national parks.
- Day trip. Grab your partner or a friend and plan weekend
day trips such as a walking
tour of a nearby town or city, biking in a provincial park or rafting down
a river.
- Activate the kid. Next time you're trying to figure out
what to do with your kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews, think active! Visit
a climbing gym, the wave pool or play a round of Frisbee golf. Rather than
letting them play another indoor video game, invite them to go geo-caching,
an outdoors GPS treasure hunt.
- Do it for a cause. Participate in a walk/jog/bike/bowl/climb-a-thon,
and keep fit while helping out a good cause. With careful planning, you may
be able to participate in one event a week until winter.