How to exercise without the gym
Movement is crucial for the body and benefits overall health, but going to the gym is not for everyone. Some prefer to play sports while others might not know where to start when it comes to exercise. A Baylor College of Medicine orthopedic surgeon shares simple ways to add movement to your routine at home.
Those who do not exercise often but need physical activity should start with walking.
“Even if you don’t want to go outside, you can walk inside your house by getting a walking pad,” said Dr. Pooja Prabhakar, assistant professor in the Joseph Barnhart Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor.
She recommends striving for 8,000 steps for solid daily cardio. Walking keeps the joints healthy, including the hips, knees and ankles.
Yoga is another effective form of exercise that also does not require one to go to a gym or class; people can search for and follow free online video classes at home.
“Walking is good for cardio and yoga is good for flexibility. But I would definitely add some sort of strength workout to your routine as well, even if you’re not going to the gym to lift weights,” Prabhakar said.
Bodyweight exercises, including squats, lunges or any Pilates-type movements, can be done at home without extra equipment. Strength workouts are important at every age to maintain bone and muscle health as well as prevent degenerative changes throughout the whole body.
Some prefer to play sports instead of hitting the gym for a workout, and active sports can be a good form of cardio exercise. Incorporating yoga along with playing sports can help maintain joint range of motion especially in sports with overhead motions like tennis or pickleball or swinging motions like golf. Strength training, such as bodyweight exercise, also helps with impact sports like soccer or anything that requires more running.
Those who have little-to-no experience with exercise should start slowly, even with walking. Prabhakar suggests walking five minutes outside consistently.
“Even just walking to the mailbox, walking around the block once. Start doing that every day. Then, try to add something new weekly. If you walk five minutes every day for the first week, add another five minutes the next week. Creating the habit every day will help prioritize movement long-term. It’s about slow improvements,” she said.
Exercising with friends holds people accountable, motivates and can increase daily physical activity.
“If you have a goal, it’s easier and more fun to have a buddy do it with you, either in person or remotely. It can be hard to start something on your own but having another person who’s in it with you can give you the motivation you need,” Prabhakar said.
