5 Ways to Stay Active Without Going to the Gym

Fun ways to get your exercise in without even realising it.

By Tiahna - Education = ChangePublished 5 years ago • 3 min read

5 Ways to Stay Active Without Going to the Gym

With Covid not looking like its going away anytime soon and cases rising and falling continuously, some people have decided to stay away from gyms for some time. Although just because you are not hitting the gym doesn’t mean you have to give up on your health or fitness.

Use these ten ideas to stay active and keep focused!

1. Sunshine and beach days.

If its warm enough where you are why not go hit up the beach and enjoy that sun. You will be feeling better inside and out for sure. The number of activities to do at a beach are endless, you can try these alone or with your family.

• Swimming, kind of a given right?

• Beach walks, they are not just for romance.

• Kayaking, its up to you if you want to get wet or not.

• Paddle Boarding, why not test your balance and strength with this one?

• Surfing, go out and battle those waves!

• Beach sprints, just be careful on the sand and watch for holes.

• Outdoor workout session, maybe the one at the end of this article?

So go get some sun and have fun!

2. Nature walks

What better way to increase your energy expenditure and stay healthy, then by taking a beautiful bush or a rain forest walk.

Personally, I love being around nature if I ever need time alone, I try to make sure I go to the beach or the bush. It gives me a chance to sit in silence and enjoy the natural sounds of our world.

An obvious bonus is that it doesn’t really feel like exercise, you become so busy noticing your surroundings that you forget about the aching of your feet. As you listen to the wind in the trees or the trickling of the stream that leads to the gushing of the waterfall, you don’t focus on how far you’ve walked or how many minutes it’s been. A treadmill minute you really do believe is so much longer than 60 seconds. A minute walking in nature feels like seconds.

Once again this is something you can do by yourself or with your family/friends. If you are going alone, just be sure to let someone know where you are going.

3. Tree Top Climbing

This one is something I’m yet to try but am really looking forward to. Basically, you are strapped into a harness and attached to a line that goes through an obstacle course in the trees.

It looks like a lot of fun though; a few family members have been and loved it. They may have come home covered in bruises, but they were proud of their battle marks.

The one local to me in Coffs Harbour, has two separate courses designed for different age groups. So once again you can choose to adventure alone or with your family.

4. Laser Tag, Paintball

Okay I know what you are thinking, really? Yes!

I have done both of these activities, and they really do get you active. Between the adrenaline pumping through your body and the focus of your mind on the game and nothing else. You can be sure you will be having too much fun to even realise how out of breath you are, after running through the field, sliding under the bus, and jumping over the fallen logs to cover your enemy (usually your friends) in various colours of paint. Not only is it a deep belly laughing kind of fun, its also a great team building exercise.

I even got to experience an amazing Laser Tag course at one of the Queensland Theme Parks, it was set as Alien VS Predator and I really enjoyed it. My brother and I went back multiple times to do it again.

These ones can be done by yourself and you can meet a whole heap of new people, or it can be done with either family or colleagues.

5. Outdoor Workouts at an outdoor gym/exercise area

A lot of towns and cities in Australia now have exercise equipment at atleast one park. They are so useful to be able to get your exercise in.

You may have to test it out yourself and accommodate your workout to the equipment available, but it should still leave you feeling like you smashed it!

I have personally used these many times, either when I haven’t had a gym membership, or when my gym was closed. My daughters love playing on them, which is a great bonus for me!