A casual jog on an evening or a usual gym visit might be a great way to get fit for some, but it’s not for everybody. Some people need something different to ignite that extra bit of motivation to get them out of their homes, off the sofa and away from the fridge, and to start doing some exercise and losing weight.

There are so many different ways to keep fit and healthy out there besides the gym, which most of us don’t even realise.

Outdoor parks

The phenomenon of ‘calisthenics’ or body weight exercises, is growing extremely fast in popularity nowadays, for the simple fact that it can be practiced pretty much anywhere and it’s free. No weights are really necessary and the main piece of equipment which is needed is a bar to be able to do pull ups on. ‘Outdoor park gyms’ are coming up all over the place, which makes it that much easier for people to workout. It also has he added benefit of being able to train out doors in fresh air.

Indoor or outdoor surfing and climbing

Surfing can be a great workout itself, and an exhilarating and fun workout at that. You will train your legs and build on your core as well as your fitness level when it comes to swimming and paddling. Its always the best to be able to embrace the great outdoors, but when the weather turns bad, indoor surfing centres make for an exciting, original exercising experience that you’re unlikely to forget and its great for beginners who are unfamiliar with surfing or are a bit scared of venturing out into the ocean by themselves.

Along similar lines, you could also pick up indoor climbing as a hobby. Although it can be quite expensive to do regularly, climbing is a great way to exercise your core, back, shoulder and arm muscles, so it makes for the perfect upper-body workout.

Table tennis bars

Over the past half-decade, there has been a growing trend for table tennis tables to be placed in bars across a number of cities. This makes for a perfect workout with friends, or can even help with making new friends. If you were going to a bar and have a drink anyway, you might play a couple of games of table tennis whilst you’re at it. Although this won’t be the most intense, focussed work out you could attempt, it will help a little bit to keep the pounds off if you’re consuming alcohol. It could also allow you to drink less by keeping you occupied. It also happens to be a very fun sport to play and you and your friends are bound to go back time and time again.

Skiing and surfing holidays for adrenaline junkies

If you’re an adrenaline junky who likes to go on holiday, why not combine the two things and make your holiday revolve around a sport. For example, you could go skiing in the Alps, and although you’ll have to learn the basics before you can handle the slopes by yourself, you’ll be losing weight right from the start. The same would be true with a surfing holiday, though the temperature will likely be much higher. You’ll need to purchase a wet suit if you want to spend a lot of time in the water, but ordering one from an online retailer like High Octane Sport makes this relatively straightforward. This is a great way to get friends and family to do something fun and active, together, making it that much more special.

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