Now that winter is over and spring is in full bloom, many people like to get in shape for the summer months ahead. While exercising regularly is important all year round, it’s easy to fall off the wagon and into bad habits during winter. Not just this, but you may be under the impression that in order to exercise you must splash out on expensive gym membership fees – but this is far from the case.
You don’t have to be a member of a gym to keep fit. In fact, there are many ways to keep fit for free.
Why not try the following?
Bike ride
Cycling is a great form of exercise and when the sun is shining, it’s all the more enjoyable. Gather your friends and family and go on a group bike ride to a scenic location.
Country parks are ideal, as most have designated cycle paths where you can ride safely without disturbing visitors who are on foot.
What’s more, cycling brings a huge range of health benefits, including increased cardiovascular fitness, strengthened bones, decreased stress levels, better posture and coordination, and lower levels of body fat.
Workout DVD
As well as keeping fit outdoors, many exercises can be performed inside the home. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have exercise equipment; a mat and workout DVD will do.
There’s a plethora of fitness DVDs to choose from, some of which are celebrity endorsed and others that are tailored to specific areas of the body.
Workout DVDs are great for those who lead busy lifestyles and don’t have much free time to get out and exercise. Exercising in front of the television for 30 minutes a day will bring you rewards. You could even wake up a little bit earlier and fit it in before you get dressed for work in the morning.
This will set you up for the rest of the day, making you feel energised and refreshed.
Swimming
You might only associate swimming with something you do on holiday, but it’s actually a sport that can be performed throughout the year and much closer to home than you might think.
Local health and leisure centres have swimming pools that are open for public use and are either free to use or come at a small price for a swim.
It’s also worth keeping your eye open for fun swimming classes like aqua Zumba and aquaerobics, which will get you moving in the water to the sound of music.
Swimming exercises the whole body and is a great way to tone up and get trim.
Running
Running doesn’t only have to be done on a treadmill. Spring is perfect for track running and is a great way to burn calories quickly.
If the temperature is particularly high on a certain day, it’s a good idea to plan your run for in the morning or just before the sun sets, as these will be the coolest times of the day. Running in high heat can take its toll on your body, causing you to become dehydrated.
It’s important to take precautions while you’re out on your run, too. Remember to carry a water bottle or energy drink with you, and if you’re running along a main road, ensure you wear reflective clothing.
