Re-Think Your Workout
Thursday, October 05, 2017
Many people automatically associate getting fit with a pricey gym membership, going on a treadmill for hours, and trendy diets. Here in the beautiful PNW, there are luckily some great options in order to spice up that boring weekly routine, save some money, and enjoy the natural splendor of our area.
Sprint! Crunched for time after work? Stop off at a local turf field and run some sprints. You can accomplish more in 10 minutes here than during your low-intensity, knee pounding hour-long session on the treadmill. Try this pyramid to get started and get yourself huffing and puffing:
1. 30 yards down and back, 10 second rest. X 5
Rest 2 minutes
2. 60 yards down, 10 second rest, 60 yards back X 3
Rest 2 minutes
3. 30 yards down and back, 10 second rest. X 3
Go Home!
Hike – There are an endless supply of beautiful hikes at your disposal. For Washingtonians, check out WTA.org to find that perfect hike. Read trip reports, see distance and elevation gains, and pick out your next incredible view. Another great resource is alltrails.com. If you don’t have time for a long hike or are afraid of wildlife, find some local stairs or a nice big hill. Fresh air is good for you, cheap, and you may even get some Vitamin D if you head out on a sunny day. Yes, you may need to buy a trail pass for something around $30 per year. That’s about as expensive as one class at Orange Theory Fitness. Besides, hiking is a great family activity (unless there’s whining involved). Ever heard of killing two birds with one stone?
Swim – Ok, this one may require a gym. But there may also be a local high school or community center where you can cheaply swim. There’s a reason Michael Phelps must eat 20,000 calories per day while he’s training. It’s not because he goes on the elliptical for an hour three-times per week. He swims! Swimming is a total body exercise that will burn fat, build muscle, and is really time efficient. Try some sprints, long distance, and change things up just as you would in a running workout.
Body-weight exercises – Maybe hold off on the expensive gym membership until you have enough self-discipline to do 80 push-ups per day in your home. Mix in a minute-long plank three times per day, and you will begin to see results. Seriously, try it! How many days in a row can you go without missing? If you pair those two things with some YouTube some ab-exercises (thank you, Tony Horton’s Ab-Ripper X) and you have yourself a free, effective, convenient total body workout routine.
So, reconsider the expensive gym membership, use some creativity, and get to work! There are certainly some benefits to a gym membership if you’re looking to throw around lots of heavy weight, but it seems today it’s more important for people to be able to tell their friends, “I went to the gym” instead of being sore the next day after a great workout. Granted, you may not be able to post as many gym-selfies, but your body, family, and wallet will thank you for the new routine.
Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps
Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.
Related Articles
- Personal Tech for Women: 5 Things You Need To Know About Fitness Trackers
- Return to Routine: How Tech is Motivating My Fitness
- Study Ranks Two Oregon Cities “Most Fitness-Friendly” in U.S.
- The 12 Best Fitness Trackers in 2016
- OrangeTheory Fitness Opens First Fitness Studio in Oregon
- Internet’s Most Visited Fitness Website is Coming to PDX
- Evolution Healthcare & Fitness Grand Opening
- Fit for Life: The INside and OUTside of Fitness
- Gearing Up for Outdoor Fitness the Techie Way
- App-Tastic: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps
Delivered Free Every
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It