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Posted in Balanced Body | March 31, 2010 | 16 Comments
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Image by If you try to be healthy then you are aware about the importance of exercise for your body. You need to meet certain guidelines to ensure that your body gets enough exercise every week. You have probably tried going to the gym, running, walking, martial arts, etc. but you are already bored with all those things. I do not blame you. I get bored with exercise myself.
There is a way though to make your workouts exciting and meaningful. You can change your idea of what exercise is. You do not have to go to the gym or run in circles around the block, you do not even have to buy fitness DVDs and pile them somewhere in the corner hoping that one day you’ll have enough time to watch them. I have come up with a few ideas for non-boring fitness. If you feel that you are tired of your routines then give these activities a try. You won’t only get your heart pumping, you will also have fun.
- Play with kids. Do not just watch them but play with them when they are outside or inside.
- Really work in the garden. Gardening is considered a moderate activity if you do it right. Cutting a few branches from a bush does not count. Bend, squat, pick up heavy things, dig a hole, plant a garden or climb on a tree. Do not try to make your life easier but really exert yourself when making your yard pretty.
- Chop some wood (do not chop down live trees of course). Have you ever seen a lumberjack in your life? They are tough guys with ripped muscles and a lot of strength. Woodcutting will give you cardio and strength training at the same time.
- Run away from a big angry dog
I have not tried this one yet but I am sure that you will be very willing to run as fast as possible in this situation. - Unload a truck of dirt. Last spring my husband and I decided to help my parents-in-law to unload a big truck of dirt. That was a one of the best workouts I’ve ever had in my life. The next day I could feel every muscle in my body. It was awesome!
- Repeat everything your toddler does. Children have an amazing ability to move, fall, climb, crawl and never get tired. My girls are very active and when I try to follow their game plan I manage to work up quite a sweat and even get out of breath. One of my girls is very flexible and she likes to sit in a full split. I try to repeat it after her but I still have a lot to learn from her.
- Regular sports. This is not anything new of course but very often we forget how easy it is to get a great workout while playing basketball or football with your friends, throwing a Frisbee on the beach or even playing golf (you do get to walk a lot as long as you don’t ride in the cart all the time).
- Clean the house. I do not like cleaning but I love getting my workout without actually working out. A few hours of vacuuming, dusting, mopping and cleaning toilets (yuck!) and your body is in great shape.
- Wash clothes without a washing machine. I am sure that many of you do not even remember what it feels like to wash a lot of clothes with your hands. As you know I am originally from Ukraine and a lot of people over there do not have washing machines. You might be even more surprised to hear that they’ve never heard about dryers! Anyway, if you have to wash a lot of clothes by hand and then iron everything then you’ll get a terrific workout.
- Speed-shopping. If you’ve ever been in a situation when you have a huge list of things to buy and only 30 minutes to do that then you know what speed-shopping is. Whether you are grocery shopping or running through the mall at the speed of a lightning, your actions must be precise, your mind and your body must work in unison to get everything done in time.
- Running around the house trying to get your family ready when you are late. I think that women can actually reach the speed of light when they are late for a doctor’s appointment or school. If it usually takes you 30 minutes to get ready then try to finish everything in 10 minutes. It might be a challenge but it will get your heart pumping like after a step class.
- Carrying your sleepy child (the heavier, the better of course) to the car for at least 15 minutes.
- Running after your dog that took off down the street before you managed to put her on a leash.
- Dancing in the car while sitting in a traffic jam when you hear your favorite tune on the radio.
- Wax your car. Remember old Mr. Miyagi and repeat his favorite exercise “Wax on, wax off.” You can continue with painting the fence and sanding the floor.
Do you have your ways of getting non-boring workouts? Fitness and exercise should be fun and not boring and only by doing that you can have both your body and mind in balance.
Keep it balanced!
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Hello, 
haha! no, thank you to washing clothes by hand, I had enough of that while living in my dear and beloved motherland:) On a serious note I loved all of those tips and as someone who doesn’t go to they gym often, I can really use them all! Thank you Anastasiya!
I do not go to the gym anymore myself (too boring
) but I get plenty of exercise throughout the day. Of course I still add some regular workouts like running, Pilates and Yoga a few times a week but fun activities that I have described in the post are my most common exercise routines.
Anastasiya, these are great! I hate traditional working out, but have done many of the items on this list and enjoy a good non-boring workout. Just this weekend we did some landscaping that involved removing grass, digging holes, and planting trees and shrubs. I could definitely feel the workout.
Chopping wood is a workout like you wouldn’t believe. I don’t chop wood often, but the few times I have, I tired very quickly.
Playing with the kids and carrying a sleep child are also fantastic. Oh how my back aches after toting around my little one. Sometimes we do the 4 year old bench press. It’s like a normal bench press, but using my 4 year old daughter instead of a weights. She thinks it’s loads of fun and spreads her arms to pretend she’s an airplane or a fairy. 4 year old curls are another fun one. We don’t do these often, but it’s a fun game sometimes.
Playing with kids is always so much fun. About half of my workouts take place while I am playing with kids. I do 2-year old crunches, push-ups, lunges and many more exercises. My girls are having a blast and I am getting the most fun workout ever.
I am glad that you enjoy working out with your kid too. It is always so much fun but at the same time it is a great quality family time.
Anastasiya, Love this thank you. Like I mentioned on your twitter my fave is “Repeat everything your toddler does” my son is 3 yrs old and showing karate moves and dancing moves etc.. Every week is something different haha! He is such a JOY! Playing with kids is so amazing
I don’t like to clean much. I’ll be honest but do find fulfillment in running around with my son. Thank you so much for this post! 
I appreciate it!
Kids are our best teachers at all times. I wish we could all preserve this ability to have fun no matter what and where. Exercising like a kid and with a kid is definitely the best workout!
I bet running away from a big angry dog is very non-boring. Can we add swimming away from an angry shark?
Sure thing! An angry and hungry shark is a great motivation to work out
Anastasiya,
Thanks for the inspiring list.
However, I would eliminate the option of running away from an angry dog and definitely wouldn’t include swimming away from an angry shark. I am convinced that all our activities should be originated by Love and not by Fear. I would suggest as well some awareness while doing that activity that we want to transform in a “Work-Out”. A work-out should allow us to relax and release any stress…
Very good post!
All the best,
Boris
This is a great list! The one that had me laughing was the toddler suggestion. When my twins were born, no3 and no4 I quickly lost 10 lbs. because I was so physically active with two babies, a two year old and a 4 year old. So another suggestion would be to borrow someones kids if you don’t have any and go play!
i honestly loved
#4
#8
will try to follow some more and for some others i am not eligible
I am glad that you’ve found something that can work for you. The most important part is always to have at least a few options and then you won’t have any boring workouts no matter how old you are or how busy you are.
Hi Anastasiya, you had some clever ideas here. When I played out “Repeat everything your toddler does” in my mind, it made me laugh. I would add for loving couples: make mad passionate love to cement your special bond while burning tons of calories in the process. Definitely, non boring!
I can’t believe I forgot to put this one on the list! Shame on me
Thanks for adding your comment Jonathan!
Hello Anastaysia,
Good workout ideas you got here.
In order to get away from regular workouts I try to walk and get some grocery shopping done on the weekends. It amazes me how we seem to ignore beautiful things around when we drive to someplace. Yeah …but we cannot take our eyes off the road when driving
Bye for now,
Cheryl
Anastasiya, thank you for this thoughtfully funny and inspiring post. Chopping wood I do all the time here in the mountains – the huge masonry heater is voracious in winter. And to build it, well how about unloading several dump truck loads of boulders and rocks? A workout I would certainly hesitate to repeat! Instead of dancing in the car I recommend dancing through the garden – around an ancient tree is even better. And running along with my dogs is a daily joy.
Lovely to share these thoughts with you – please stop by to share your brilliant S-M-I-L-E on my latest blog post from Japan – Catrien Ross.