We get it, the gym is not for everyone. There are a lot of reasons why someone might be apathetic to your everyday, conventional gym. Crusty men, unpleasant experiences or just an overall disinterest in the environment are some of the very few reasons. But no one said that slaving your ass at the gym is the key to ultimate physical fitness. 

How about picking up a sport instead? Not on a professional tier, but as a hobby. Physical hobbies are an excellent way to workout the entire body and promote good health. These activities help stimulate you both physically as well as mentally by stretching and toning muscles, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, burning fat, balancing blood sugar and reducing stress.

But I’m no professional, so here’s an actual professional’s take:

Here are some activities you can pick up, that are actually kinda fun!

1. Surfing

While yes, there are limited places in India where you can indulge in the act, if you’re privileged enough to live in close proximity to them, why not give surfing a chance? The innate “coolness” of the sport might be intimidating to many, but don’t knock it till you try it. Not only does it promote overall cardiovascular fitness through paddling, but it’ll also stimulate your leg and core strength once you’re standing up on the board. 

2. Kickboxing

The violent reputation the sport has garnered might make some wary of it. But don’t be fooled, aside from the obvious high-intensity cardio and overall strength buildup, kickboxing also promotes a surge of adrenaline through your body that improves your instinct, coordination and fighting spirit. 

3. Calithenics

I get it, people flying off the bar looking like superman can appear scary. You might think “Woah, I could never do that!” But that’s not true. You have no idea what your body is capable of! All you need to do is put in the effort and dedication and you’d be surprised at what you can achieve. 

4. Running

Running is good cardio, everyone knows this. But aside from that, it can also improve your mental health! Running outdoors aids in improving memory and adaptability. It can lower feelings of loneliness and isolation, reduce stress and help calm anxiety. 

5. Bodyweight training

No, you don’t need a gym or fancy equipment to weight train. This lesson was best taught to us unanimously during the COVID lockdown. Lifting your body weight is just as productive and has the same effect on your muscles as lifting at the gym. If anything, it’s more versatile since it gives you the added flexibility in terms of working out whenever, wherever. 

This is not me hating on the gym, just simply accepting the fact that it is not for everyone. And that’s okay. The most important thing is to enjoy your workouts since the magic sauce to peak fitness is, you guessed it, consistency!