Most people view the prospect of trying to lose weight as a dreaded chore. They immediately picture limiting their food intake to a few lettuce leaves or carrot sticks or imagine themselves getting red-faced and sweaty during a grueling workout at the gym while a sadistic trainer yells commands at them.
What you may not realize is that there are some easy ways you can turn your weight loss chore into a fun part of your everyday life. Here are some fun ways to help you lose weight easily.
Shop till You Drop If you enjoy shopping, why not turn it into a fun form of exercise? Before you head to the grocery store, why not take a stroll up and down the mall to do some window shopping on your way there? The extra steps you walk all count towards your daily physical activity levels, so they’re contributing to your weight loss efforts.
Dance Your Butt Off
Dance fitness classes are immensely popular all over the world simply because the fun music and party atmosphere make you forget you’re exercising. Dance fitness classes, such as Zumba, let you work at your own pace until you build up your fitness levels. If you’re uncomfortable joining a fitness class at your local gym or health club, consider turning on some of your favorite tunes at home and get your body moving. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have any funky dance moves. Just enjoy the music and wiggle your stuff in whatever way feels fun to you.
Go Exploring
Lace up your walking shoes and become a tourist in your own city. There are plenty of self-guided walking tours available for almost every location you can imagine, so look some up and head out to learn some more about where you live. Get a coupon for Onnit and shop for your best-fit shoes.
Alternatively, you can take a short drive and explore areas a little further away from home. You’ll be surprised at some of the interesting places, magnificent views and landmarks you’ll discover. Play Dates If you have kids or a dog, why not arrange to make play dates together?
Take the kids or the dog to the local park, skating rink, walking trail, or beach and just spend time playing. The kids will get outside in the fresh air, and the dog will love the extra exercise.
Yoga
Not every workout needs to include pumping weights or jumping around in an aerobics class. In fact, research shows that the gentle practice of yoga can help boost your weight loss efforts and leave you feeling good at the same time.
Yoga uses specific poses, postures, and stretches in combination with controlled breathing techniques. Throughout the session, you’ll be improving your flexibility and mobility, building lean muscle tone, and promoting a sense of relaxation. It’s a great way to reduce stress.
Make Chores Fun
Let’s face it. Nobody really enjoys doing household chores, but there are ways to make your housework a bit more fun and boost your weight loss efforts at the same time. Before you start sweeping the floors or vacuuming the rugs, tum on some of your favorite dance tunes Sing or dance along as you work and you’ll find the task is a lot more fun. There are also plenty of free apps you can download that track your incidental activity and show you just how much each activity helps towards achieving your weight loss goals, for example, you can burn up to 43 calories in 15 minutes of mopping the floor. Mopping also works out your arms, shoulders, back, and core muscles, so you’re contributing towards losing weight and keeping your house clean and tidy at the same time.
Enlist a Friend
One of the hardest aspects of any weight loss goal is maintaining your motivation levels to keep going. Yet if you make a pact to work out with a friend, you suddenly become accountable to each other to keep the promise you made. You’ll find it much easier to stay motivated when you work out with someone else.
Start a Vegetable Garden
A big part of losing weight is learning to eat healthier meals, so why not grow some of your own vegetables? Spend some time preparing the soil in your garden and start planning ways to grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs right from your own garden.
Aside from having access to more fresh ingredients to add into your meals, gardening can also burn between 200 and 400 calories per hour. Besides, simple tasks like pulling weeds, planting new seedlings, watering your crops, or turning the soil with a pitchfork all help work your muscles, so you’ll be toning up at the same time.
You can also get coupons for supplements and enjoy all the benefits of a vegetable garden.