Alternatives to the gym article

Many people, students and young adults in particular, turn to the gym as their first port of call for exercising, thinking it’s the most convenient method of keeping active. However there are so many more ways you can exercise rather than going to the gym, and for a whole lot of a cheaper price as well.

Gyms can be very good if you want to bench press, or use specialist equipment that trains muscles that no other form of exercise does, but people need to open their eyes to all the different alternatives, such as jogging in a park, which you can do with friends, or alone, or even at the same time as taking your dog out for some exercise as well. This not only gets you out into the fresh air, but you can admire nature’s beauty as you run, instead of staring at a wall. When running at a park, you can also set yourself goals to reach that don’t involve numbers. For example you could set yourself a challenge when you feel like stopping to run to the next tree or bench, thus pushing yourself further, something that is more challenging to do when running on a treadmill.

When running in nature you also have such a broad variety of routes to choose from, or even make up your own and go cross country. The choice is endless. This also gives you a different experience when you run, instead of running in the same environment every time, stimulating your senses as well as your body, and making running a more enjoyable and pleasurable experience.

Of course exercise isn’t just running, you could go swimming at the local swimming pool, which is an excellent form of exercise for the whole body, not only making your heart healthier but toning your muscles as well, so your whole body is glowing.

If you want to bulk up, then circuit training could be the way forward for you, something that you can do in the confines of your own bedroom, or even at the park. You can devise your own circuit in a matter of minutes, adapting it to suit which muscles you want to work on the most, or whether you want a whole body work out. Increasing the repetitions of each circuit you do can help you build muscle up faster, and also make you work harder and improve your fitness. Circuit training is a great method if you don’t mind repeating the same action over and over again.

The great thing about the alternatives to going to the gym, with the exception of swimming, is that they are free, you don’t have to pay a penny to do them. Especially with the prices of tuition fee’s increasing and the cost of living becoming more expensive by the year, not going for the free option seems bizarre, especially with gym memberships being at an average of £35 not including the induction before you are allowed to use the equipment, which although is a one off payment can sometimes be the same as a month’s membership. £30 can go a long way, that’s money for a night out, or a weeks’ worth of food shopping. So before you sign up to the gym, consider the alternatives first, you may just be surprised at how much you actually enjoy them.