Categories: Fitness

8 Weight Loss Activities That Don’t Involve Going To The Gym

Losing weight is a struggle, really. It’s both a physical and a mental struggle.

Going to the gym is a struggle too, because it costs money and is absolutely painfully boring for quite a lot of people.

So what else can you do instead?

Running outside

While this is, technically, still a workout, it does not confine you to the stuffy, boring walls of the gym.

You can run through beautiful streets, through fragrant, blooming parks, on the riverbank or on the beach, through the cool, windy forests — the list goes on and on, but the truth remains the same, it being that it’s far less boring than just running on a threadmill.

And we all know that running, which is cardio, is one of the main weight loss staples.

Buying some dumbbells

Watching TV and swinging some dumbbells around while your mind is consumed by something? Honestly, that’s not only more effective than you’d think, it also becomes far easier to do, exactly because your mind is consumed.

Half the problem at the gym is staying focused without getting bored. (The other half involves the number of people and the fact that you have to pay a decent amount of money to simply just be there.)

And working out at home while doing something else, be it watching a show or talking to a friend, is much more fun.

Going for a swim

Swimming is always nice. Even if you’re just going for a relaxing swim in the river, swimming remains one of the best calorie-burning activities, winning over even the most popular activity, which is running.

Somehow, a lot of people disregard swimming as ineffective, when it’s literally more effective than most forms of cardio. Go figure.

Weight loss and swimming love each other and often come together, so go for that swim — you might get a nice tan, too.

Walking instead of taking transport

A piece of advice as old as time, but one that has been the most helpful to me personally.

Not only does it save you money (and I don’t know how it is where you guys live, but transport in London costs an absolute ****ton), but it also trains your endurance, because the more you walk — the more you can walk; and burns calories — duh, walking.

Tourism and sightseeing

This one is extremely situational, of course, but also just as extremely useful.

It kind of coincides with the previous point — after all, walking and any physical activity in general will help you with weight loss, especially if you’re used to the less active lifestyle — but it’s also different. Why? Because when sightseeing, you’re going to walk a hell of a lot more.

Seriously. When I visited Edinburgh for two days this January I’d walked more in those two days than I have in the past month in total, probably — and that’s considering the fact that I try to be very active.

Dancing

The beauty of dancing lies within its multifaceted nature.

It’s impeccable for self-expression; it’s a beautiful activity; there’s an incredible number of different styles of dancing that would cater to anybody’s preferences and needs; and, of course, dancing is absolutely phenomenal when it comes to weight loss.

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Regardless if you’re taking up a class, going clubbing or just having fun at home, half-an-hour of dancing will do wonders for your diet. It is, after all, impeccable cardio.

Rest well

It’s a well-known fact, but a fact that, somehow, constantly needs reiterating: sleep affects your weight loss. Massively.

The less you sleep — the hungrier you are, and the more extra nutrients (especally carbs) you need to function properly. And you really shouldn’t limit your body’s carb intake too much in case you haven’t slept properly — carbs are the main ‘brain foods’, meaning that they’re the ones responsible for your cognitive function.

And boy, do we need to think a lot.

Watch your food intake

This does not mean eating abysmally little food.

Let me repeat: THIS DOES NOT MEAN NOT EATING PROPERLY.

Now that that’s out of the way, let me explain what I’m trying to say here.

All aspects of weight loss are very important and shouldn’t be disregarded. In fact, your diet is the bigger player here than physical activity.

As such, it’s important to watch what you eat and how you eat. Chew slowly and thoroughly. Eat less crappy foods. Reduce the intake of soda (at least sugary soda, start there). Watch the macros. It’s all in the details.