It is no secret that physical activity has positive effects on various aspects of our lives: it can reduce the risk for developing different diseases, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve the quality of sleep, in addition to affecting your brain’s ability to perform executive functions.
And the best part is that you don’t need to be an athlete to enjoy all the advantages that accompany physical activity.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, in addition to two strengthening sessions per week, is enough for you to benefit from your workouts in the long term.
According to a report by the Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee in the US, published in 2018, even if you don’t reach the WHO recommendations, you can still benefit from short work-out sessions. Even if you manage to replace sedentary behaviour with light-intensity activities, you will be able to enjoy the results.
Instead of playing online blackjack on the weekend or taking the bus to work, you can do something a bit more active and consider it as a move in the right direction.
But what qualifies as moderate-intensity when it comes to sports? Do you have to go to the gym or spend loads of money on a personal trainer to achieve a certain level of fitness? Of course not.
There are plenty of accessible workout options available to every single person, so all you need is some motivation and determination to get you through your training session and you’re set!
3 Ideas for Your Next Workout
- Stairs Workouts – Who doesn’t hate stairs? Especially when you don’t have an accessible elevator nearby, stairs might look like a torture device to plenty of people. But what we often fail to realise is that stairs have the potential to provide us with enough daily exercising that you won’t need to hit the gym afterwards!
According to studies, if you climb 200 stairs a day for 8 weeks, you will be able to improve your cardio fitness by 20%. Stairs can also provide you with a tremendous legs-workout, so essentially, you can combine strength and cardio sessions all in one.
- Play Ball Games – If you can’t stand the thought of performing the same workout routine day in and day out, you should look for something dynamic to keep you fit. Playing ball games like soccer, tennis, basketball, badminton, etc. can certainly do the trick!
Recreational soccer, for example, proved to have positive effects on blood pressure, cardiac function, improved bone health, and more. While playing, you won’t even notice that you’re working out! Those games can count as aerobic exercises, in addition to strengthening your upper and lower body and improving your balance and co-ordination.
- Home Exercises – One of the main deterrents that stop people from working out is the aversion from exercising around others. Comparing yourself to what others are doing and always caring about what they might think of your performance is not the nicest situation. That’s why a lot of people choose to work out at home!
There are dozens of YouTube videos and Pinterest posts that provide clear guidelines on how to perform one workout or another. All you need to do is decide what kind of exercise appeals to you, and make sure you have enough time to work out! You can try yoga, aerobic exercises, abs workouts, leg workouts, etc. whenever you heart desires. Most videos are extremely short, which means you can exercise for less than 15 minutes every time you feel like being physically active.
In Conclusion
Exercising can be a lot more fun than you might think, and it doesn’t have to cost a thing! Find a way to be more active, and if need be, consult with a doctor before deciding on the workout style that suits you best.
