Skip the expensive, crowded gym and do these things instead
If you want to exercise and lose weight, you don’t necessarily need to go to the gym. Whether you find gyms too smelly and nosy or fear you’re not toned enough and that someone might judge you, your reasons are valid.
You can accomplish the same results at home, in your backyard, or by improving your habits. However, you likely won’t have the same equipment at your disposal that you would at the gym, requiring adjustments.
Follow our ten tips on how to get in shape and lose weight without going to the gym.
1. Commit to a Healthy Diet
You don’t have to starve or introduce strict diet plans, but you should ensure you eat healthily and get the essential nutrients (e.g., whole grains, fruits, vegetables). Start using smaller plates when eating high-calorie meals, as that will trick you into thinking you eat more than you do.
Focus on protein-rich food, such as Greek yogurt, chicken breasts, almonds, fish, oats, and legumes. Since protein reduces hunger and increases the feeling of a full stomach, you’ll eat fewer calories during the day.
Eliminate junk food from your grocery list or minimize its use. Keep sugary foods out of your reach (e.g., high shelves that require climbing on a chair) and replace unhealthy foods with healthy snacks (e.g., sweet potato fries instead of chips).
2. Stay Hydrated
Did you know drinking as little as one percent more water will make you eat fewer calories? Increasing H20 intake will drop cholesterol, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium levels, helping you lose weight.
Hence, drinking only three extra cups of water will kill 205 calories, which is almost the same as if you took a two-and-a-half-mile walk. So, make a bottle of water your best friend and always keep it next to you.
3. Include Regular Physical Activity
Get your body moving and engage in daily physical activities you enjoy, such as walking, hiking, cycling, dancing, or even gardening. Committing to something you like will help make exercise a sustainable part of your routine.
Break up your physical activity into smaller sessions throughout the day if finding one large block of time is challenging. And if, initially, you struggle with staying committed, put on upbeat music or your favorite podcast while exercising.
4. Practice Strength Training at Home
Start doing push-ups, lunges, squats, planks, or yoga poses to maintain your body healthy, full of energy, and lose weight without going to the gym. Bodyweight exercises help build strength, burn calories, and reinforce cardiovascular endurance.
If you want to take these activities to a higher level and add resistance, consider buying resistance bands and dumbbells or using household items like water bottles as makeshift weights.
5. Prioritize Sleep
According to WebMD, sleeping less than seven hours each night leads to weight gain due to reduced impulse control and your brain looking for something that feels good (e.g., a tasty slice of cake). Moreover, sleep deprivation can make you metabolically groggy, causing poor insulin and fat processing.
6. Incorporate Stress-reducing Activities
Stress is bad news for the body for so many reasons, including because it can cause weight gain. It interferes with self-regulation control, increases chemicals and hormones related to hunger (e.g., ghrelin and leptin), and nudges you to overindulge in high-calorie food.
Engage in calming activities to regulate stress levels. For instance, you can introduce deep breathing exercises, yoga, or hours for reading books.
7. Reduce Screen Time
Globally, people spend six hours and 58 minutes of screen time daily, a nearly 50-minute increase since 2013. That’s at least one hour less they could spend being physically active.
Moreover, screen time can expose you more to the marketing of foods and drinks promoting weight gain. It can also disrupt normal appetite signaling, increasing passive eating even when you don’t need it.
8. Motivate Yourself with Variety
Many people don’t find intrinsic joy in exercising or committing to physical activity. Keep your exercises interesting, prevent boredom, and engage different muscle groups by incorporating diverse activities.
For instance, you can switch up your physical activities by finding different YouTube tutorials for exercises targeting specific body parts (e.g., abs).
9. Create a Consistent Routine
Stay committed by setting specific meal and workout times. That will help establish a consistent daily routine and form healthy habits, making it easier to stick to your fitness and nutrition plan.
10. Track Your Progress
Consider keeping a detailed journal of your meals, snacks, and physical activity. That will help you identify patterns and improvement areas.
You can also use well-being and workout apps or online tools to track your daily food intake and exercise. Many also offer features for setting goals and monitoring progress.
