3 Unconventional Ways to Stay Fit
By Amber Lowry
Bored of the gym? You’re not alone. It’s easy to get tired of the same old weight-lifting and cardio machines. Sadly, many people use this as an excuse to give up on their fitness goals. While it’s important to crush it during your gym sessions, it’s also important to switch up your fitness approaches and be interested in how you move. Revamp your workout routine with these three unconventional ways to stay fit!
1. Rebounding
Jumping on a trampoline, or rebounding, is not only fun for your inner child, but it’s also great for your health. A huge part of being healthy is our ability to naturally detoxify our bodies. We all have a lymphatic system, which plays a major role in the detoxification process by acting as our cellular waste management system. Considering our constant exposure to various environmental toxins (cosmetics, non-organic foods, air pollution, etc.), it is crucial that our lymphatic systems work efficiently to make sure we are properly detoxifying. Unfortunately, our lymphatic system doesn’t necessarily work on its own; jumpstart the process through movement. In other words, in order for our lymphatic systems to be functioning optimally, we need to stimulate them. One of the best ways to stimulate the lymphatic system is by jumping on a mini trampoline. While rebounding may not seem intriguing to those trying to bulk up, a build-up of toxins in your system may attribute to less gains. Adding 5-15 minutes of rebounding each morning is a proven way to stimulate your lymphatic system, ward off osteoporosis and improve fat mass/lean muscle mass ratios.
2. Tabata
What if I told you that you can achieve amazing workout benefits after just 4 minutes of exercise? Tabata is a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that involves intervals of 20 seconds of full intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest for a total of 8 sets (4 minutes). Compared to traditional cardio exercises like jogging, research shows that HIIT training exercises like tabata promote greater improvements on body composition. Moreover, HIIT has been shown to have hormonal benefits that leave you burning fat even after the exercise is complete. Try adding a 4 minute tabata workout to your morning routine to start your day off on a fit and lean note.
3. Exercise Alarm
Be honest: do you spend most of your life on your butt? A study from The American Journal of Preventative Medicine determined that older women who lived a more sedentary lifestyle were more likely to die prematurely compared to their more active counterparts. Many of today’s most common occupations require a lot of sitting, but an effective way to combat this is to set an alarm for every 30 minutes as a reminder to get up and move. For example, try setting an alarm to go off every half hour; complete 20 bodyweight squats and take a walk to the fridge for a glass of water. If you follow this advice as an office worker and do 20 bodyweight squats every 30 minutes, you can do 320 bodyweight squats in an eight-hour work day!
Whether you decide on these alternative forms of exercise or stick to your traditional routine, the important thing is that you are staying active! As Eugen Sandow, one of the fathers of modern bodybuilding, once said, “Life is movement. Once you stop moving, you’re dead. Choose life.”
References
Boutcher, S. H. (2011). High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise and Fat Loss. Journal of Obesity, 2011, 868305. http://doi.org/10.1155/2011/868305
Cugusi, L. et al. (2016). Effects of a mini-trampoline rebounding exercise program on functional parameters, body composition and quality of life in overweight women. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. http://www.minervamedica.it/en/journals/sports-med-physical-fitness/article.php?cod=R40Y9999N00A16072107&acquista=1
Jelleyman, C., Yates, T., O’Donovan, G., Gray, L. J., King, J. A., Khunti, K. and Davies, M. J. (2015), The effects of high-intensity interval training on glucose regulation and insulin resistance: a meta-analysis. Obes Rev, 16: 942–961. doi:10.1111/obr.12317
Seguin, R., Buchner, D. M., Liu, J., Allison, M., Manini, T., Wang, C.-Y., … LaCroix, A. Z. (2014). Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in Older Women: The Women’s Health Initiative. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46(2), 122–135. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2013.10.021
Tucker, L., Strong, J., LeCheminant, J., & Bailey, B. (2015). Effect of Two Jumping Programs on Hip Bone Mineral Density in Premenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. American Journal of Health Promotion, 29(3), 158-164. http://dx.doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.130430-quan-200
