I love the gym. Love it. It is my fortress of solitude. That being said, I completely understand why a lot of people don’t like the gym. Typically I would say rise above it and you will grow to love it, but I also realise that some people just hate the gym; it’s not about confidence, it’s not about not knowing what you are doing, it’s just not your scene.
Find an outdoor Gym
Wrap up warm and find a local outdoor gym. There are a number of fitness facilities opening up in the great outdoors around Dublin and other parts of the country providing free spaces for training. Because it’s outdoors you are likely to have the whole place to yourself the majority of the year!
This is a totally different environment to the gym; it’s more like a playground for adults.
Some places with training equipment include Edenmore Park in Dublin 5, The stardust memorial park in Coolock and Castletroy park in Limerick. Pop on to Dynamix.ie for more information on where you can find these excellent outdoor gyms.
Resistance Bands
Invest in some resistance bands to get a good workout in and build some strength.
These rubber bands come in various sizes and resistance levels and can be used to add resistance to ordinary body weight exercises like hip drops and hip drops.
They are also fantastic for working on your flexibility, particularly when it comes to your hips. Pick up a set on D8fitness’ website.
Tabata at home
If you’re not familiar with the term Tabata, you should be!
High Intensity Interval training is the most effective form of cardiovascular exercise when it comes to increasing your metabolism and burning body fat. Tabata is a form of HIIT; 20 second bursts of activity with 10 second rest. 10 minutes of this and you will be tired out!
Try this one for example:
20 second sprint
10 second rest
20 second burpee
10 second rest
20 second squat jump
10 second rest
Repeat for 10 minutes.
That’s right – a ten minute workout, and that’s pretty much all you need with Tabata. Feel free to do more if you want to get optimum results, of course, however it is a regular school of thought that Sprint intervals like this are more effective for fat loss than running or aerobic classes.
Body Weight Training
Most people don’t have gym equipment lying around the house and I’d guess that as many people cry inside at the thought of Cardio; don’t worry there is always Body Weight Training.
Everything you can do in the gym you can do, albeit with a lesser effect, at home with no equipment.
Replace Bench Press with Push Ups
Tricep push downs with Bench Dips off a chair
Leg Press with bodyweight squats and lunges
Then throw in a plank, and you’re done.
Take a class
Classes are a great way of getting fit and having fun. Whether you are looking for something intense or something a little more lighthearted, no matter where you are in the world you will have plenty of options.
This is particularly good if you struggle to motivate yourself or if you are driven by a little healthy competition.
If you are avoiding the gym due to low confidence or embarrassment of not really knowing what you are doing, I would say go for it anyway. The gym is typically a positive environment and the trainers are there to teach you how to do things safely and effectively. You might feel like you don’t belong in a gym because you’re not fit right now, but that’s what gyms are for! Don’t be intimidated by the super strong, fit person beside you, use them as a benchmark and strive to get to that level yourself.
For more tips on nutrition and fitness, visit Voltafitness HERE the no frills fitness blog.
