What to Do if You Are Sick of the Gym?

On the contrary! You’re eager to explore the world of fitness, to see what other activities might float your boat, send you over the moon, head over heels in love, get you all tingly again – and diversity is an ideal way to challenge your body and your mind more than ever.

Explore the great outdoors

Each season has its own perks, so no matter if this change of heart happens smack-dab  in the middle of winter or just in time for the first spring bloom, you can set up a weekly hiking schedule to replace your dull indoor routine.

You’re a hardcore athlete? All the better, get some great outdoor running gear and make it a challenge for you and your friends who decide to tag along. Not only can you burn over 400 calories per hour of hiking, but a change of terrain, picking up your pace and adding weight to your bag will double that number!

Shake your tailfeather

It’s so much fun you might not even notice you’re working out, but dancing can truly do a number on your entire body if practiced properly. Nowadays, you even have specialized aerobics-dancing classes such as Zumba that will help you break a sweat to some up-beat tunes, and tone your core, legs and glutes in no time.

Then again, those who are in it for the strength can go straight to the pole – this is where all the magic happens to your upper body, but your legs aren’t spared either. Pole dancing is a brilliant way to improve your mobility, flexibility, overall balance and coordination, and to burn tremendous amounts of fat.

Hit the streets

For those of you who are more urban at heart and cherish those childhood memories of your first board, and eager to show off your scrapes and bruises as trophies, then dig out your skateboard and find the nearest skate-friendly park, because this routine will get your heartrate up in an instant!

And fear not, every single session will be tough on your legs, as well as your core, front and back, challenging on your balance and agility, and forcing you to think fast on your feet – quite literally. Make things extra interesting and customize your ride by choosing everything from durable skateboard wheels, a fun colour scheme for your board and protective gear for trying out those amazing stunts.

Twist up your zen

As if yoga isn’t bendy and twisty enough, you can give acro-yoga a go, especially if you already have a friend or a partner who is equally insane and eager to form an airborne pretzel. Pairing up instantly elevates the level of both difficulty and responsibility, and still you’ll manage to boost your strength and improve your flexibility.

It’s a brilliant way to overcome your fears, reduce everyday stress and anxiety and stay in top shape while pushing your boundaries with every new session. Precisely because it insists on slow and controlled movements, it gets your body to achieve greater levels of core strength and balance.

Bring out your inner warrior

Last, but definitely not least, martial arts are an incredible and versatile way to take your fitness game to a whole new level of fast, strong and healthy. All of them teach discipline, self-reliance, physical and mental resilience, and they help create situational awareness that might save your life some day.

On a more aesthetic note, martial arts such as judo, krav maga, kick-boxing or Brazilian jiu-jitsu are incredibly arduous on your entire body, as well as your cardiovascular endurance. And no need to chase after the black belt, because even recreational training can serve its incredible health-boosting purpose.

Samantha Olivier runs ripped.me, a health and fitness site packed with information on motivation, nutrition, health and fitness. Having spent the last 2 years as a personal trainer and gained a B.S.C in nutrition shes now turned to the blogosphere to share her knowledge and tips and we are delighted to welcome her as a guest blogger for Gym Freaks.