Different Ways to Think about “Exercise” Options:
Hiking, especially with friends – Every found yourself on a walk with a friend or sweetheart and the time has just passed, along with the steps? Conversation flows and memories are made.
Walking – No time to hike? Go for a walk. Even a 15-minute brisk walk is enough time to get close to a mile walked. Do you have a 30-minute meeting at work? Have a walking meeting instead. Steve Jobs was known for doing this.
LARPING – Live Action Role Playing. Might seem silly to those on the outside, but to those playing, it’s an amazing adventure that reminds us how awesome our imaginations are. Also, depending on the game, you could be wearing a heavy costume, swinging heavy weaponry, and running for your life!
Rock Climbing – It’s one of the best arm/back/forearm workouts in existence, you get to feel like a hero when you reach the top of the wall, and all climbing routes are graded so you can level up the challenge as you get stronger/fitter/better. It’s a fit nerd’s dream!
Geocaching – If rock climbing is a fit-nerd’s dream, then geocaching is a adventure nerd’s dream brought to life. Become a real life treasure-hunter (Lara Croft? Nathan Drake? You decide!), and get a great workout in while you’re at it.
Dancing – Ever tried serious swing dancing? You’ll be sweating within ten minutes. How about hip hop? Drenched in sweat, and sore as hell the next day. Zumba? Tango? Flamenco? You’d be surprised what you can sign up for and what will elevate your heart rate.
Roughhousing with your kids. Don’t forget what it’s like to be a kid– it keeps you young. Teach them to roll down hills, pull a sled up a hill in the winter-time for the exhilarating time racing downhill or have a contest blowing up balloons!
Climbing on stuff – “Stuff” can even be the slides at the park (see above). I also enjoyed the walk up the Monument Circle structure downtown Indianapolis.
Martial arts – Whether it’s Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, Karate or Capoeira, there’s a martial art out there that will make you feel like impressed with yourself.
Build a standing desk – Although we all know that correlation does not prove causation, it’s no surprise that there’s a strong correlation between sitting all day and an early grave. Why not fix your posture, strengthen your legs, and spend the day being more productive with a standing desk?
Stop meeting for coffee – If somebody wants to meet up with you for coffee, suggest something active: throwing a baseball, tossing a frisbee, going for a hike – anything that gets you up and moving.
Clean – Ugh, nobody likes to clean the house/apartment. I certainly don’t. So I make a game out of it. I see how much I can accomplish with a single song blasting at max volume. Of course, after getting through one song, I figure “welp, I’ve already started, might as well keep going.”
Do handstands – This is a fun activity that builds up serious arm and core strength and will leave you sweating bullets after even a few minutes. Find a park, go do handstands, cartwheels, somersaults, and whatever else makes you feel young again.
Parkour – I don’t care how old you are, there’s no reason you can’t get started with rolling around in your hard and vaulting over picnic tables and bike racks.
Playout – Is Parkour too serious for you? Try a Playout. Spiderman was on to something – climbing walls, swinging from skyscrapers, and popping flips around the bad guys. You might not be able to swing between buildings, but you can definitely visit a playground in your area and get creative!
Adult gymnastics – In the same vein as Parkour, gymnastics will help you build some of the BEST real world strength you can get with any type of exercise, and it’s all done in a playful way without a single weight being picked up. Swing from rings, somersault, flip onto pads, and more. There are gyms all over the country.
Yoga – Build flexibility, strength, and learn to freaking relax. There are million kinds of yoga, so sign up for a few different kinds and see which one lines up the best with what you’re looking for.
Play video games that make you be active – Wii Tennis, Wii Fit, Just Dance on Xbox Kinect, and whatever games actually exist for the Sony Move (does anybody actually have this?). OK, DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) counts too. I know an hour of that is exhausting. Playing a normal game? Make a rule that you can only play while standing up. That’s what I do to keep myself from spending twelve hours on the couch in marathon gaming sessions!
Play on a playground – Go down the slide, swing across the monkey bars, climb the rope all, balance on the balance beam. Create an obstacle course for yourself and see how quickly you can get through it.
Play a musical instrument – Did you know playing the violin for an hour burns about as many calories was walking around a normal track for an hour? It turns out, our brains can burn boatloads of calories too. So challenge your brain!
Join a Rec league – New in town? Want to be active and meet people? Join a kickball or softball league. You get to exercise and make new friends.
Bike to work – I know there are a lot of folks in our community who dropped a bunch of weight by making one change: they biked to work, or biked to their friend’s house, or started biking generally. You get from Point A to Point B, you save money on gas, and you get a workout.
Play a childhood game – What games did you play as a child? Capture the flag? Kick the can? Simple tag? Get a few friends together and give it a try – it will be the most fun you’ve had in a while!
https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/09/17/25-ways-to-exercise-without-realizing-it/