Tag Archives: fun exercises
Avoiding the Gym – Other Fun Ways to Burn Calories
Well, hubby and I officially lost a combined amount of about 40 pounds over the last year. And after eating healthy foods and snacks, and going to the gym 6 times a week, we got a little burned out. We got too busy to go to the gym, and too busy to cook healthy meals and grocery shop twice/thrice a week and needless to say, we lost our healthy habits.
Now we’re trying to get ourselves back into the habit before fall hits and we just mope around the house doing nothing but eating junk food. But it’s hard to get back into the habit! It’s definitely more enticing to sit here at night and watch TV with a glass of wine. How do I get my butt back in gear? That’s what I’d like to know.
I got to thinking, it’s so easy to take a pill or medication each day, and before you know it – you can feel it working. So why can’t workouts be like that? You do it once a day, and before you know it, you can feel it working? So I found a solution to my problem, and a way to implement it. Here’s my plan.
1) Start with honest goals.
Let’s face it, I could set my goal to “go to the gym more” but that says nothing, and it’s so easy to blow it off. So instead, I put my goal for this week, to be to go to the gym at least 2 times. It’s starting me off slow, and it’s putting an exact amount on how many times I need to go. I told myself that this is not a suggestion, it’s required. I can pick which 2 days that will be, so the flexibility grants me a little freedom from the gym.
2) Improvise on your workouts.
I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: you have to make exercising fun. As much as I enjoy going to the zumba classes at my gym, I hate the drive there along with the pressure of having a schedule to meet for when they have those classes. Instead, I set up my wii to a TV in the basement so that I can stream zumba videos off Youtube. I can workout when I want, where I want, and for as long as I want.
Still not motivated to do the hard-core workouts? You don’t have to. Start slow. Make it a long, brisk walk one night, and maybe a bike ride the next. As long as you get your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes, it’s a great start!
3) Try new activities that sneak in exercise.
This is the key with me. If I enjoy doing something, then I don’t pay attention to the workout my body is getting. Do your homework about the areas of your body you want to focus on, and then try a few new activities; especially things that get your cardio going for an all-around workout.
Here are some fun/entertaining ways to get exercise and enjoy it!
Let’s call this the housewives list of exercises 
- Rollerblade
- Bowling
- Frisbee
- Rock Climbing
- Hiking
- Hopscotch
- Tennis
- Swimming
- Walk the Dog
- Volleyball
- Jump Rope
- Dancing (to the radio, or to Wii games!)
- Kayaking
- Paddle Boarding
Also, did you know that picking up trash in your neighborhood for 4 hours will burn roughly 2,000 calories? (According to Fitnessandobesity.com) Now that’s what I call ‘giving back’, the calories – that is. Okay that was an awful joke, I blame it on the lack of exercise.
Hearts,
Ruby
So Much to Do and Say!
I feel like I’ve let you guys down. I haven’t written in ages (okay a week) and for that I’m sorry but – be still, my heart, there is much to talk about tonight! So let’s get started, shall we?
Minnesota Fitness
I suppose we’ll start with fitness. The journey has been average as of late. I haven’t lost any more weight, but I’ve maintained my 16 pound weight loss. I still have 4 more to go, so I can smell victory, hopefully soon. Hubby and I have taken to different activities that are fun. This includes (and/or has included):
- Tabata
- Pilates
- Zumba
- Latin Hip Hop
- Kickboxing
- Running (blah, not so fun)
On the non-gym related scene, we’ve also started taking daily walks at night (or at least try to if we have time). We tried hiking, curling, and I even bought Zumba fitness 2 for wii. SOOO fun, by the way 
It’s been an experiment, essentially – but when you find something that works, go with it!
Shopaholic Novels
Onto the next topic, let’s discuss my obsession in books – Sophie Kinsella. On Valentine’s Day she released her newest novel, “I’ve Got Your Number” and it was absolutely phenomenal. Seriously, I couldn’t put it down. But I’m like that with all of her books. You might recognize her name when I say she wrote the Shopaholic series of books. I love her books. Have I mentioned that?
Anyways, I finished her newest novel (433 pages) in three days. It was amazing. Have you read it yet? If not, you can get it in stores or you can buy it online (that’s what I did) at Amazon here.
Minnesota Dining
In the next order of business, I have a new restaurant that I must share with you. For a belated Valentine’s dinner (hubby hates crowds) we went to the most divine restaurant I have been to in a long time. Seriously – I’ve raved about it for a week now! It is located in downtown St. Paul, and it’s called Trattoria da Vinci. Some of the best Italian food around if you ask me!
We actually had found a deal on LivingSocial for them ($25 for $50 worth of food and drinks) that we used. It was so good. Have I mentioned that? So good.
When we got there, we were immediately seated. Right away, they brought warm DELICIOUS bread. The bread was so stinking good. I was so happy that we got to bring home what was left in our basket. We ordered some wine (and hubby a beer) and browsed the menu. But what we couldn’t pass up on was the pasta bar. If you know me at all, you’ll know that I’m a HUGE fan of pasta bars. But this one, oh boy. This one was the mother of all pasta bars. It had everything you could dream of and it was SO TASTY. I never use all caps, so you should understand that I thoroughly enjoyed all of this wonderful experience.
Not only was the food delicious, but it was more than plentiful. We had to get a box for both of our meals because it was so much. And the next day, hubs and I split my leftovers and it was more than enough! Yum.
So. Good.
You can even make a reservation with them on OpenTable if you wish – get 100 points!!
Alright, well that’s what I have for now. I’m a tired girl! Until next time!
Hearts,
Ruby
