We keep hearing the importance of working out, whether it’s our favourite wellness influencer talking about it or in gym class or wherever else; everyone’s heard it a lot. While it comes with good intentions, a lot of people absolutely hate working out and it’s not even a stretch to say that some are literally allergic to the term. It’s probably the thought of doing burpees or another minute of plank that haunts you, but if you’re this kind of person, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
We acknowledge how much you rightfully hate working out, so The Teen Edit has created a list of some *addictive* activities that you can do if you absolutely hate the idea of working out. Might we also say that while doing these activities is absolutely great, try to keep your options open because when you discover the world of fitness, you’ll be hooked!
LOW IMPACT + HIGH INTENSITY = HOT PILATES
It comes from the name: hot Pilates is an unconventional (but gaining popularity) form of Pilates in which traditional Pilates is combined with high intensity interval training to form a killer sequence, with the room temperature being at 34 degrees celcius. It’s a form of workout which is a fusion of low impact and high intensity: could it be any more perfect? While it doesn’t burn calories like a traditional HIIT or cardio workout would, it most definitely gets your heart pumping, that sweat in and releases those endorphins.
DANCE IT OUT
Dancing is one of the most effective forms of getting a good sweat in and it’s a big mood booster. It’s not even necessary that you step in for a professionally conducted class, there’s a tonne of fun videos on YouTube. When you’re so addicted to the television, you might as well switch up the channel to a fun dance video.
There’s channels which teach Zumba, there’s people who incorporate workout movements into a dance sequence and you can even learn a whole dance number! You might even find people who create dance workouts to your favourite songs so that’s even better.
LEARN HOW TO SKATE
If a skateboard or skates is easily accessible to you, you might as well learn how to do it. Not only is it a great form of exercise, it’s so fun too! While you might take a while to learn, once you do, you’ll be hooked because there’s so many tricks to explore. In addition to this, doing it with your friends is one of the most memorable activities ever.
GO FOR THAT EXTRA MILE WITH A HIKE
Love exploring your stunning surroundings? Switch it up by getting your workout in with a hike while also exploring new places. Hiking can be challenging (depending on the hike you choose) and your muscles may be sore afterwards, but that tech shouldn’t stop you from going on it. With a good workout playlist and a workout buddy, it will give you the feeling that you’re conquering the world and will get so addictive!
GET INTO IT WITH A SPORT
Doing any sport is literally the most beneficial thing. Not only is it a great form of working out and burns a tonne of calories, it also gives you insane muscle definition and is amazing for your mental health. You could take the plunge with a swim or shoot some hoops, whatever you choose to do, you’ll feel the adrenaline and there’s no other feeling like it.
BURNOUT WITH RESISTANCE+WEIGHTS
Ditch the boring body weight workouts with resistance band training and weights. It may sound daunting at first, but you’ll feel so accomplished once you’ve tried it out. Resistance and weight training maximises your burnout while also adding muscle definition. There’s so many different equipments and exercises to experiment with, you’ll never get bored!
SNOW/ICE SPORTS
While this might be a seasonal option, if you get the opportunity to do any kind of sport that involves snow or ice, you must try it out. You could do ice skating, skiing, snowboarding or ice hockey. They all take time to learn and are exhausting to do but it’s so worth the time and energy. It honestly doesn’t even feel like a ‘workout’.
EXPERIMENT: TRY NEW ACTIVITIES
You’ll never know unless you try. If you stay close the beach, try learning surfing, riding on the waves is a feeling like no other. Horse riding is another unconventional but super fun form of exercise, not to mention, you’ll get a feeling of accomplishment after you ace it because it is quite hard. You could even ride a bike around your hometown or someplace around you that is inclined upwards. You can maybe even try out some form of yoga because there’s so many you can choose from: power yoga, hot yoga, calm yoga, whatever your jam is, go for it! There’s so many forms of moving your body and you’ll be astounded at the limits to which your body can go.