I ditched the gym and you can too – here are six ways to get fit without it | Fitness

AFor almost twenty years, the normal gym continues, I finally canceled my membership. The reasons for this are very and various – I’m trying to save money, gym music these days is terrible, everyone seems to have forgotten how to share the equipment – but the main one, I think Actually, it can make me more fit.

I have to try every trend, exercise style and fitness activity I wanted by working for men’s fitness magazine for almost 10 years, and I noticed something interesting: quite often, people with the least source were in the best situation. I do not include Hollywood actors, but otherwise, this is usually true: the strengthens working in non -Isavuzin concrete huts, the fastest runners that stay away from the treadmill, and have a focus on where people who exercise in the basements are rarely seen in Palatial luxury gyms. I look at the photos that my own gym membership stands (briefly) during the Covid locksmiths. I might not have the best cardio of my life – even the social distance could not convince me to run more than three miles (5km) at a time – but I was absolutely simple.

Some of the correlation and causality here may be confused, obviously – Covid has prevented me from reaching my favorite cake shop – but let’s not worry about it right now.

So what is the plan? As a 46 -year -old father with a lot to do, I focus on It is possible to wear exercises into my lifeCombine cardio, strength and mobility as much as possible and buy as few kits as possible. Here is what I know.

Run, fast And slow

In recent years, it becomes increasingly clear that your body is a basic indicator of the health and life of VO2 Max, a measure of your body’s ability to use oxygen during intense exercise: is probably one of the main things worth focusing on long life. Unfortunately, creating a good VO2 Max takes a little longer than getting stronger – but there existing Things you can do to speed up the whole process.

The first is called the “Norwegian protocol: at high density for four minutes, then a lower density for three minutes, then the repeated-all four floors. With a warming on the top, you’ve done work in a little longer than 30 minutes – and if you do it once a week, other employee exercises can be larger or plodding. Recently, I have been regular in my local Parkrun, there are many people much faster than me to motivate me, but nobody browses if you put a voice book and turn three miles for 40 minutes.

The last thing I do in terms of running is Hill “Sprints”-a little wrong name, because the nearest Hummock is so upright that I can barely get up from a run. This is actually a good thing; With a few Hamstring ping in my past, my real sprint days are probably over, but the rugged diversity forces you to work hard, to produce power at every step, and to hire dozens of muscle fiber at every step.

Really simple power training

It is good for you to be strong: Apart from obvious benefits (furniture, shopping and tired children), bone density, balance and mobility, heart health and There may even be protective effects against dementia. A kind of force training should be an indispensable part of your exercise week, but the good news is that it doesn’t really have to drive long- Recent research He argues that two exercise sets per body part may be sufficient to create power per week and then decreased returns can quickly activate.

These training can also be very simple: if you don’t want to look like a Marvel character, no dozens of movements are needed. The only thing you need to focus on is what many trainers call the basic human movements: push, pulling, squatting, “hinge” and transport – all of them can be made with a bag book if you are in a kettlebell, dumbbells or a budget. My power plan twice a week is as simple as: two sets of fire presses (pushing), a sleeve rows (pull) and glass crouches, and a set of kettlebell release (this “hinge”, but where the power comes from your hips, from long jump production). I buy my transport by shopping – usually I make a large bagload once or twice a week.

Lubricate

This exercise style – made popular by the former Soviet power coach Pavel Tatsuline – It has existed for decades, but it hasn’t been more interested than a period when many people worked from home. The idea is that you enter the gutter of the movements you do, so it is not only your muscles, but also how much your neuromuscular efficiency or your brain and nervous system can activate your muscles.

Basically, you do one or two exercises at a relatively managed density many times during the day rather than an exercise session. Each set should feel quite easy (you never go to “failure” or sweating), allowing you to focus on an excellent form and make your body more efficient in recruiting muscle fibers. If this is the target, it won’t make you too big – but it will make you stronger.

I am currently doing with pullups. I have a bar in my kitchen, so when I take our new puppies out in the garden, for a small line, for a small line, for the joy of trying to eat a plastic plant pot-seven or eight pulp or really if I try about half of the number I can manage. I do not make another set for at least half an hour; I can do anywhere between three and 10 sets a day: and in a few weeks I will probably add one or two representatives. It is a great system for pullups, but you can also try with newly beginners for friendly movements, with mouth fight or lunges.

Sandbag

Now the sandbags that come back in functional fitness classes and Hyrox events are great for many reasons. They are difficult to make your body difficult to make your body with weightlifting, run your stabilizer muscles and challenge your balance even at lower weights. You can also leave them to most species flooring without too much fuss. And here is the secret: For some of the costs you see in the gym, you can make your own sandbag, which is better and more versatile than pre -made sandbags.

The method I prefer is to fill a lot of small sandwich bags with builders sand (enough to start with a total of 20kg), then the closed channel: This helps to minimize the leak and allows you to adjust the weight. After that, just throw as long as you want in an old Duffel bag or backpack: Remove it from the ground, crouch on your shoulders, press the hill or balanced along your lap (much more comfortable than a weightlifter). Get ready for the next idea that allows you to throw a bag into a hill closet effortlessly…

Running at school

Wearing a “Rucking” or a large backpack and going for a walk can be better than running for most people: your joints have less effect on your joints, creates a little more power in your legs and seeds, and still raises your heart rate and challenges your cardio. He is currently caught as a trend Special Clubs and ergonomically designed “plate carrier” bags The cost of face pound – But let’s be realistic, there’s nothing to prevent you from throwing a few books in a backpack and carrying it to your daily activities.

For me, the school run is excellent: there is a mile, a few big hills from all directions, and if I stay very breathlessly to talk, my seven -year -old child is very happy to get the conversation relaxation. I install myself with 10 kg for a trip for a few weeks, and I will probably add it soon – if there is anything, it makes it much easier to justify the treats I have taken on the route.

… And walk a lot

The simplest thing, but one of the most valuable ones. One 2022 Studies He found that taking 10,000 steps a day had protective effects against cardiovascular disease and cancer, but the benefits go far beyond that – it seems like walking in nature Improving Mental HealthDaily walks Improved sleep. I am lucky to live in a very walkable city, and even though I go to a semi-terrible-loving job I work with, I often go to walk around (with my dog) to solve the impossible business problems while sitting at my desk. Try jumping the headphones for a few weeks-you will probably see a big difference when you make creative thinking and problem solving.

. Kit List

In most gyms, you can get enough equipment to offer dozens of home exercise options for more than 30 pounds for less than a month. When you have exercise error, upgrade while saving. Here is the investment order.

Resistance bands (£ 5+)
These are perfect for back health and shoulder mobility. When you have an empty moment, a few tape pull opening (hold the tape in front of your chest and extend your arms until you form a T with your body) will create wonders for your posture and create wonders for your exit (slowly lift behind and behind you).

Adjustable Dumbbell (£ 20- £)
These can be as basic as you want: the most important thing to keep in mind is that after a while it may not be too heavy enough to challenge you too much. Target a pair of pairs, each of which you can upload up to 10 kg – you can use them for everything from the top to the top to presses, and allows you to directly target muscle groups that are difficult to hit directly to body weight.

An EU wheel (£ 7+)
These are insignificant – cheap, light enough to throw it in a bag and can be the only kit you need to train your middle section. EU Wheel “Respiratory” (the main movement you will do with them) is a movement to build – even one can be difficult, so start by rolling you on a wall that will stop the short time of the movement, or even apply your roll in a shallow slope (if you can find one). They are absolutely not necessary, but if you can hold a board for two minutes, it may be time to accelerate it.

A pull bar (£ 20+)
You can never plan to make a stamp, but they may only be useful to make dead vine – and if they are fixed safely enough, you can also use them with an suspension instructor (see below). If you are planning something more curious, consider the style screwed on the wall.

A kettlebell (£ 20- £)
The most important thing about Kettlebells is to choose someone with a beautiful shape – the official “sports” versions come in a standard size (with a chunky Çan ”section) that should be based on a beautiful way when making more complex movements. The other point is weight – if you only buy one (because they are expensive), the option that allows you to do the most movement is easy enough to remove at first, but as you get stronger, you’ll want with a reasonablely challenging weight. If you’ve never exercised before, a 12kg or 16kg will work, but consider a version of 20kg if you are a little stronger.

An suspension instructor (£ 40+)
These are the most expensive thing on the list and are absolutely not necessary-but if you have a place to put one (or a nearby tree), they will greatly increase the movements you can do, including the perfect opposite row for your shoulders. TRX There are many people who know the brand that everyone knows, but equally good – Read the reviews.