It’s not impossible to keep your body in good shape without hitting the gym. The secret lies in how dedicated you are to stay fit despite the challenges of day-to-day living. After all, it’s also good for your bank account as you get to save yourself from pricey gym membership fees.
Going to the gym can also cut into your free time.
Wouldn’t it be great if you just have the option to work out in a convenient location, on your own time? If you want to stay healthy but don’t want to waste time and money in a gym, here are tips that can help you reach your fitness goals.
Eat a healthy diet
Exercise alone isn’t enough to stay healthy. You need to eat a colorful diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Doing so ensures that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to function well.
- Try to integrate different fruits and vegetables in your diet every week like cucumbers, cabbage, strawberries, carrots, mangoes, and many others.
- Aim for 120mL of fruit consumption twice a day.
- Every day, try to consume 5 to 7 servings of vegetables. For leafy greens, 2 cups are enough while for other types of vegetables, the recommended size is 1 cup.
1. Take health supplements
If you can’t eat a variety of nutritious foods, taking health supplements will help you get adequate amounts of important nutrients. There is also scientific evidence that shows how supplements are helpful for overall health and in managing certain health conditions.
2. Avoid sugar and processed foods
Eating junk food and fast food regularly will do you no good and, needless to say, make it unlikely for you to stay fit without exercise.
These foods contain “empty calories” that require a lot of physical activity to burn off. Moreover, you’ll only be wasting money on these foods as they don’t have the nutritional content to help build strong muscles or your immune system.
3. Eat small meals
Instead of eating three big meals, consume small meals throughout the day.
To do this, eat healthy snacks between meals and reduce the size of your food portions during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For example, instead of eating eggs, bacon, and toast in the morning, choose a light breakfast of one whole wheat toast and one boiled egg.
Skip convenience whenever possible
Being used to your daily routine is also one way to grow stubborn fats. As much as possible, go out of your way and choose to do any of the following activities:
1. Take the stairs
Instead of taking the elevator, go for the stairs and get your body moving. This activity can help increase your heart rate at the start and end of your working day. The goal here is to get more steps to burn some calories without the need to set aside a specific time for exercise.
2. Walk or bike
If you’re not going somewhere too far, walk or use your bike instead of driving. This burns a lot more calories compared to driving, plus it saves you fuel. When running errands, walk or use your bike as well to strengthen your legs and cardiovascular system.
3. Don’t sit for too long
Avoid sitting for more than 30 minutes to get your blood pumping and boost your activity levels. If you can’t manage to stand up every 30 minutes, try doing it each hour instead. When you get up from a sitting position, walk around and do some stretches.
4. Avoid full service stations
When not in a hurry, try to avoid food joints with drive-throughs.
If you want to stop at a place to eat or buy something, walk inside, then stand in line instead. As an alternative for letting others do something for you, do things on your own.
Commit to getting fit now
There are many activities you can do without spending a dime on a gym.
You’ve already set the goal to stay fit and healthy, the next thing to do now is to stick to that goal. As long as you eat healthy food and get your body moving constantly, your fitness goal wouldn’t be too hard to achieve.
AUTHOR BIO
Gehana Kennedy is the owner of vitaminshop.ae, the go-to source for high-quality wellness products including a range of step-by-step formulated vitamins, fitness supplements and natural skin care products. With innovative ideas and implementation of new technologies, she was able to establish a platform that offers not only quality products but also valuable information for customers.
