Summer is gone and with it, your willingness to go jogging. Some people enjoy a winter afternoon of nose nipping outdoor fun, but for those of us who prefer to maintain feeling in our limbs while we workout this time of year can take a bite out of our fitness routine. Gyms are expensive plus you still have to go outside to get there, and there is nothing more tedious than doing crunches in your living room. The most important factor in maintaining a regular workout is to keep it fun. People are more apt to stick with it if it doesn’t feel like work. So get creative and keep your fitness fresh with these 5 fun indoor workout ideas.
5) Time Travel
Okay not actual time travel, but do you remember the cheesy aerobics craze of the eighties and nineties? The wild outfits, the strange motivational jargon, the now hilariously outdated subtle body shaming? In 1987 you could expect to shell out hundreds of dollars for a fancy VCR and a box set of Jane Fonda tapes, but nowadays you can get both of those things at a thrift store for a couple of bucks. Or just look up one of the many antique aerobic workouts that nostalgia nerds have uploaded to Youtube. Get the cheesiest video you can find, put on a wild, spandex costume, and really get into the part. It may feel silly at first, but if you find a good tape, you’ll be laughing yourself into shape in no time. And once you release your inner jazzerciser you’ll start to understand why Richard Simmons is always so happy. Invite some friends over and make a party out of it. And when you’re done, cool down with a Tab.
4) Dance
If old school aerobics is just too awkward for you, take the same concept and modernize it! No need for goofy costumes or even a video. Just pump up your favourite high energy tunes and dance however you want to in your own living room. Dancing is more than just great cardio, it can also relieve stress and warm up your mind for creative work. Not to mention all the practice you’ll get for busting some impressive moves at your company holiday party.
3) Redecorate
Who doesn’t love trying out new looks? You could use photographs and simulation software to see how your couch would look by the window, or you could do it the old fashioned way and move all of your stuff around to scope new styles. You can work up a pretty good sweat pushing furniture. Make sure to use proper lifting technique and don’t move more than you can handle. If you try out a bunch of different arrangements and concentrate on the task, you’ll have completed a whole workout’s worth of exercise before you know it. And you get bonus feng shui points!
2) Take The Stairs
An oldie but a goodie. If you live or work in a building with stairs, use them! This may not seem as fun as the other items on this list at first, but if you’re a math nerd the fun is in the numbers. Tracking your stair progress can be very rewarding. Post a tally sheet just inside your door and keep track of how much climbing you’ve done. Count the number of stairs in your building and multiply that number by how many times you take the stairs in a day, a week, a month. The CN tower is 1776 steps to the top. The Burj Khalifa has 2909 steps. The amount of stairs you would have to climb to equal the height of Mount Everest is approximately 58,070. Keep track and challenge yourself to scale the tallest heights in the world.
1) Play With Your Dog, Like A Dog
You don’t need a wide open space like the park to exercise your pooch, as long as you don’t mind laying your human behaviour aside for a bit. Get down on all fours and engage your dog in a game of “get really excited and jump all over each other”. You know, that game your dog plays with other dogs. Dogs react playfully to abruptly changing body positions. So crouch, then stand up, then lay down and roll over, then get really close to your dog and quickly pet its face, then run away, repeat, etc. Most good-natured dogs love this kind of stuff, but make sure your dog is into it first. If you have a puppy, you’re probably good to go. The rapid pace of this play will get your heart rate up in no time and the happy look on Fido’s face will motivate you to keep it up. Woof!
