The call to be a couch potato is potentially one of the most powerful forces in the known universe (outside of those arbitrary forces in dusty science textbooks, of course). The struggle against the pull of the oh-so-soft sofa is a real one. Be careful, because if you don’t effectively fight the scourge of this urge, you’ll end up with an equally soft and very much less inviting midsection. For easier (and cheaper) ways than having to run the gauntlet with the throngs of ‘New Year Resolution’ gym newbies, have a look at this list of Top Urban Fitness Strategies.
All we need is Cardio Ga Ga
Cardiovascular exercise is an excellent fat burning workout. Take up running, ditch the car and walk whenever possible. Take the stairs at work or show your pets how much you love them by taking them for early evening strolls. Some fitness experts highly recommend doing high intensity interval training (HIIT) for even better results. Instead of just running, alternate between short, very fast sprints and slow jogs for a set amount of time. Gradually move from 15 seconds of high intensity work and 60 seconds of rest or low intensity work, to 60 seconds high intensity and 15 seconds low intensity for 20 minutes. The real challenge will be doing this while maintaining composure and not passing out!
Keep On Moving
A change of scenery will keep you motivated. Instead of sticking to your backyard, move your workout to the neighbourhood park or the beach. If you're running, plan your routes in advance taking into account the surrounds; it will help you focus on something other than your burning lungs and legs! Try fifteen minutes of sprinting up a hill and walking down. The beach is the perfect venue for some touch rugby, beach soccer and volleyball, all of which offer a mix of active rest and high intensity work.
Calisthenics is a form of often rhythmical exercise without using much equipment. Do push ups, burpees, sit ups, squats and lunges in short thirty minute stretches. Once you're comfortable take your workout to the park and try pull ups and dips on the jungle gym, or do box jumps on the park benches. Start doing a niche sport, like the Brazilian dance-like martial arts Capoeira or frantic-running-and-jumping Parkour, both of which require ultimate fitness and strength... And cartwheels, back flips and somersaults (but you'll learn those later).
Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose
The most important thing to remember about trying to keep fit without going to the gym is to move your body out into the light of day, and then keep moving your body until you're very tired. Then repeat daily. Take a break every week so that your poor body doesn't hate you. But most importantly try to enjoy the experience, because if you hate it, there's no doubt that the couch potato magnetism will strike and you'll end up being cuddled by your favourite sofa while chocolate bars commit lemming-like suicide into your open mouth.
Date Published: 05 February 2016
