You don’t have to go to a gym to get or stay fit …

Some people react to the idea of going to a gym like a kid being told to eat their vegetables.

So here’s some good news – you don’t have to go to a gym to get or stay fit!

BUT you do have to do some things; it’s an established fact that a sedentary lifestyle is bad for your health. So let’s take a brief, concise look at what you can do to get or stay fit if you’re not willing to join and use a gym …

MOVEMENT
Central to fitness and health is movement. That sounds so simple as to be silly, but research into extended sedentary lifestyles have the experts calling sitting the “new cancer.” That’s because according to the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study II, five hours of continuous sitting is the equivalent of smoking a pack and a quarter of cigarettes and six hours of continuous sitting can elevate your chances of dying from cancer and other major diseases, even if you maintain a healthy weight and don’t smoke.

Just standing to break up extended periods of sitting helps fight against the negative affects of a sedentary job, etc. One report claims, “Studies have shown that our bodies can benefit from simply standing up, contracting muscles, and moving. Think of standing as pushing a reset button on your body. If you press the reset button before the timer hits 20 minutes, you’ll avoid any of the negative side effects of a sedentary job.”

The base need we have to stave off the affects of a more sedentary life is to MOVE! Whether it’s standing up every 20 minutes in a cubicle at work, or getting up every time a commercial comes on during your favorite TV show to stretch, flex muscles, walk in a circle … just move!

You fight off dangers of sedentary living by adding movement to your life, or increasing the amount of movement.

ACTIVITY
It’s okay that you don’t join a gym if you engage in other forms of physical activity. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health.

Physical activity is movement that is carried out by the skeletal muscles that requires energy. In other words, any movement one does is actually physical activity. Making time for interests and hobbies that are active, or chores like house cleaning, gardening, mowing and raking the lawn, or any active or manual work you may do as part of your job, are ways you can add regular activities into your life that gets you moving and using your body in various ways. Choosing to take the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator, parking at the far end of parking lots, etc., are simple ways of increasing physical activity in the routines of living.

RECREATION
A next step up in moving and being active is adding recreational activity to your life. Participating in recreational activities, especially outdoors, can greatly improve physical fitness and health. People who take part in recreational activities such as walking, hiking, dancing, canoeing, kayaking, rowing, rock climbing, horseback riding, surfing, skiing, or other such recreational activities schedule fewer doctor visits, maintain lower body fat percentages, and have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

SPORTS
Participating in sports intensifies a person’s means for building and maintaining physical fitness. Using sports to help increase and maintain fitness doesn’t require participation in more demanding sports like tackle football; less intense sports like table tennis, playing golf, and bowling are also beneficial for your fitness. Participating in league sports such as a softball, volleyball, or bowling league helps to stay consistent with a sport while also enjoying the camaraderie of fellow team members.

PERSONAL EXERCISE PROGRAM
You don’t have to go to a gym to exercise. Using resources from books, videos, CDs, and the internet, you can develop an entire personal workout regimen that can be done at home, such as:

• • Using your own body weight for functional exercises.
  • Making a minimal investment in some resources such as exercise bands, a bosu ball, an exercise ball, exercise steps, and a few free weights can all be used for a personal exercise program.
  • If you really want the benefits of a gym at home without joining a gym, you can invest in a variety of exercise equipment if you can afford it. From an elliptical or treadmill, to rowing machines, stationary bikes, a punching bag, a pull-up bar, and a set of free weights to the costly and space-devouring home gym “systems,” you can convert a room, garage, or back porch into a home gym with as full a selection of equipment as you’re willing and able to invest in.

GUIDELINES
If you just can’t stand the idea of going to a gym, that’s okay, but you must do something — move, be active, engage in recreation and/or sports, or design your own personal home exercise program — to build and maintain your personal fitness. But don’t think you can nix the gym to opt for a walk around the block as being adequate for building and maintaining your physical fitness. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

• • Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week.
  • Strength training. Do strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Aim to do a single set of each exercise, using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.
  • Moderate aerobic exercise includes activities such as brisk walking, swimming, and mowing the lawn. Vigorous aerobic exercise includes activities such as running and aerobic dancing. Strength training can include use of weight machines, your own body weight, resistance tubing, resistance paddles in the water, or activities such as rock climbing.

As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you will need to exercise more. Want to aim even higher? You can achieve more health benefits, including increased weight loss, if you ramp up your exercise to 300 minutes a week.

Scotty