3 Ways to Stay Active, That You May Actually Enjoy

Kudos to the those people who love to workout. You know who they are and you know how they sound. It’s usually high velocity yelling meant to be motivational but can sometimes come off as annoying and intimidating. This article is not for the lovers of all things workout, y’all got this. This is for those, like myself,  that don’t necessarily like working out but don’t like what’s at the end of the, I don’t do any activity rainbow.

I have certainly seen that side of the rainbow. At one point I was just downright lazy due to ailments that were holding me back but you know who’s not lazy? My fat. My fat stays active, looking for bigger and better ways to play hide and go seek in my arms, my hips and my stomach. With that being said, even though you likely won’t catch me doing Shaun T’s Insanity or trying to get washboard abs, I am always looking for ways to stay healthy while actually enjoying it.

Walking

I came up with this brilliant idea that I would start going to bed early, so that I could wake up before 8am and walk the neighborhood. The problem with that was, I was uneasy about walking by myself because my neighborhood is like an animal kingdom. There are deer, foxes, turtles, snakes, coyotes, armadillo’s and dogs that randomly get loose and get their walk on too. I was afraid to encounter any of these animals while walking alone, so I’d walk within close proximity of my house and come on back home. My husband felt like my fear wasn’t allowing me to get an adequate workout, so he started waking up to walk me, even though he’s more of a jogger. Now if I get my husband involved in any of my shenanigans, no excuses are accepted. We have been consistently walking 3-4 miles daily. Everyday we notice something new about a neighbor’s home or landscape ideas for our own home. I’m actually starting to look forward to our walks and this is now my go to form of exercise.

Yoga

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

I have recently been diagnosed with what’s called hip impingement. It’s a very painful condition that causes your hip, lower back, knees and groin to hurt constantly. Yoga has helped tremendously with the discomfort. Even though there are some positions that I can’t do fully, the stretching aids me in mobility and it feels good and relaxes my mind. I usually turn to Youtube for yoga videos, that require just a few minutes of my time. The Yoga with Kassandra channel has a great 10 minute morning workout that is great if you’re short on time. If you’re new to Yoga like myself, the Yoga with Adrienne channel offers yoga for complete beginners. Lastly, if you do have a back affiction, like I do, YogaTX has a great video for back pain.

Bike Riding

A few years ago I told my husband I wanted to get a bike. What I had in mind was a cute little bike with a basket and wide seat for cruising from Walmart. What he came back with was some $1800 competition style, Lance Armstrong special, equipped with gloves, water bottle, and gel bottom biker shorts. Needless to say, I actually liked the bike and I especially liked and needed the shorts but it’s been years since I’ve actually ridden it. Recently we took our bikes to a bike shop and had them tuned up. Since getting them back on the road, I have to say I really like riding. We have been going to a trail, which of course makes it easier and I can’t go long distances due to the knee pain but it’s still a great way to get moving and it’s exhilarating, at least going downhill is. We have planned to make this a weekly outing, especially during the summer months.

Regardless of your level or love of fitness, it’s important to get your heart rate going as often as you can. While I don’t plan to enter any bodybuilding competitions any time soon or ever, I take pride in knowing that I make a conscious effort every day to maintain my health.