You don’t need to go to a gym to get in shape – and here’s why

This question comes up a lot, especially now during the lockdown of pandemic our world has been experiencing.

“I can’t get fit because I don’t have access to a gym, or I don’t have the right equipment at home or the right tools…” are things we keep repeating to ourselves, however it all comes down to one factor which is what exactly are you looking for and are you at a stage where you really need the gym. The gym will come in handy when you can strengthen, tone, tighten muscles. But if there’s fat covering those muscles, no one will ever seen them. And that’s the part that happening outside of the gym.

So how do you get rid of the fat that obscures muscles? – Walking is a great start that burns a higher percentage of calories from fat sources than more intense forms of cardio does, like running.

EATING HEALTHY IS MORE CRUCIAL THAN GOING TO THE GYM!

I cannot stress this enough, going to the gym as justification for overeating or eating unhealthy foods. I’m sorry to say this, but it is not the right way to go about exercising. If you eat poorly, there is no cardio in the world that can make up for it. 

Once you get  your diet sorted, staying active outdoors or even at home is the next step – as opposed to sedentary – in your everyday life. This could start with increase in your walking per day to picking up more active hobbies/sports or even start on basic workouts at home.

Research suggests high-output, body weight based exercises such as plyometrics yield awesome  fitness gains in very short workout durations.

The likes of planks, crunches, sit-ups, and press-ups involve nothing more than some free space, and if you are near a playground, you can utilize the high bar for pull ups and chin-ups.

Another beauty of creating your own workouts is freedom- the sweet, glorious ability to work out whoever you want, whenever you want. Just make sure that –  if you are one of the people that go to the gym just because the environment motivates you to work better, or you find yourself that group classes in the gym are the only thing that keep you moving and active – you find yourself an online competition group or online community to keep your activity levels high.

Final Words: Do You Need a Gym or Not?

Seriously, no.

If you want to start saving time, money, and grief, give the gym a miss but also keep track of what it is you get done in your day and don’t turn into a ‘couch potato’. Also, make sure to keep checking on your goals and know what it is you’re trying to achieve.