Best Ways to Exercise Without a Gym

Cher once said that if fitness came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body. But the reality is that a large percentage of Americans are overweight, and the problem has escalated to a level that even First Lady Michelle Obama has taken up the cause of childhood obesity in the US.

The good news is that various restaurant chains are now listing calorie details on their menus, a move which may deter consumers from ordering dishes high in fat.

Several fitness and diet trends have come and gone, but the message remains the same: Ward off weight gain by eating healthy foods and allotting a certain amount of time to physical activity.

Benefits of online fitness programs
As the average work day grows longer and consumers become more aware of the contents of their pocketbooks due to a sour economy, costly gym memberships and face-to-face personal-trainer sessions aren’t really feasible: Frankly, who has the time and money?

A new and considerably cheaper solution is to subscribe to online fitness programs such as FitOrbit and GymAmerica, which allow you to exercise at home at your own pace and also work with an online fitness expert who will customize a special workout plan for you. You also receive healthy meal plans, and round-the-clock motivation from your trainer.

Burning calories with day-to-day activities
The fact is that the more active you are, the more calories you burn, and in addition to regular exercise and cutting back on high-caloric foods, there are other simple day-to-day activities and hobbies which can boost your heart rate and help burn calories:

Mow the lawn or garden: This is good exercise and gets your heart rate going. Any type of gardening activity in general is considered a beneficial way to burn off fat.

Vacuum and clean: According to About.com, if you spend an hour vacuuming (and cleaning your house), you can burn nearly 250 calories (based on a person weighing around 150 1bs). So get out the old Hoover and bucket and mop, and make your home squeaky clean.

Play Frisbee: If it’s a sunny day and you have time on your hands, enjoy a game of Frisbee out on the lawn. An hour can burn off more than 200 calories.

Shoot some pool: The pool table has been sitting in your basement for years, and it’s time to dust it off and play. Nothing spells “leisure” as a casual game of pool with friends, which can also burn off more than 150 calories per hour.

Walk, walk and walk again: The Harvard Health Letter recommends taking the “faraway spot”: Parking your car as far away as possible in the garage so that you have to walk a while to get to your destination. In addition, pacing around the house or your office (as opposed to sitting all day) is also good exercise.

Go shopping: A number of health experts claim that walking around the mall or dragging your shopping cart around the supermarket help burn off calories. You don’t necessarily have to exercise your wallet, either: Stick with window shopping.

Shovel that sidewalk: During winter snow storms, start shoveling your driveway. This is a great activity that speeds up your heart rate and burns off a lot of calories.

Play a musical instrument: You’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar or piano, and now here’s your excuse. It may not qualify as a vigorous activity, but according to HealthStatus.com, a half-hour of strumming your guitar strings will result in (hopefully) harmonious melodies, as well as an easy 100-calorie burn.

A fitness program designed just for you
Though these daily activities help you burn a few extra calories, a routine fitness program is necessary to stay healthy. The benefits of online programs such as FitOrbit are that you call the shots: you work out on your time (without having to deal with crowded gyms and expensive face-to-face personal trainer sessions) and work with an online trainer to devise your own customized workout and meal plans.

-- Cathryn Conroy and Tara Taghizadeh --