/I found 3 posts in particular that I realized I could just consolidate into one, and so here I am, consolidating the 3 posts and updating it to make it even better. Enjoy!/
Finding time to exercise can be very challenging, even for those of us who love it. Making sure you exercise for at least 30 minutes a day at least 4-5 days a week is another challenge in itself. We, as humans, can be kings/queens of making excuses. How do we get past these excuses!?
Below I’ve listed several ways to help you stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle! Exercise decreases your risk for strokes, heart attacks, and other preventable chronic diseases.
So is exercise important? You tell me, people, you tell me.
1. Ride a Bike (or several bikes!)
Above are road bikes. They’re lightweight and are perfect for riding on roads, climbing hills, and racing with. They also work well on paved trails. I love my road bike.
There are many other bikes that exist in the world that serve various purposes, you just have to choose one that suits your needs and go exploring!
Mountain biking is another option. I just picked up the hobby and it’s a bit more extreme than road biking. You can ride mountain bikes on the road or on trails as well, but a lot of times they’re used for up in the mountains. Mark describes mountain biking as hiking with all of the thrill of downhill riding.
See the video below of our most recent mountain biking trip in Mt. Tam. I’ve gone 3 times and I’ve fallen 3 times. I’m very bruised and may be missing small patches of skin, but I still find that it’s a fun and exhilarating sport to do with friends and family.
There is also cycling on a velodrome track where you ride on a fixed gear bike with no brakes closely behind other cyclists. No, seriously, these people are right behind you. It’s one of the reasons why none of the bikes on the track are built with brakes.
2. Go on Hikes
This may be more of a weekend excursion if you don’t have any local places by you, but there’s nothing better than getting up early over the weekend and bonding with nature. You could even go grab some coffee and a light breakfast afterwards!
Below is a video of a hike I did a while back with one of my best friends. You may have already seen this one. Back flips off cliffs are involved (see 2:35)
See my hiking section for more recommended hikes!
3. T.V. at Home Workouts
I do enjoy Blogilates. This is one that I do when I’m especially lazy and just want to make myself feel a little better. Complete as many videos as you’d like, get that heart rate pumping, and then you can go eat something healthy to make yourself feel extra strong.
4. Sign up for a Race/Competition
Whether it involves running, biking, swimming, or any other physical activity, there’s no better way to motivate yourself to exercise and train than to put yourself into some type of competition. Signing up for half marathons and marathons definitely put me on a training regimen and I knew that if I missed a work out, I’d pay for it during my next long run or on race day. Yeah, I definitely made sure to fit in my work outs!
5. Exercise with a Buddy
No, seriously, finding some friends who are in a similar ability level as you can be a total game changer. I swear. Running, biking, climbing, or doing any other sort of exercise with someone who can push you when you’re feeling like giving up will motivate you to exercise harder and to not skip any work out days. After all, if you commit to exercising after work, you can’t go back on it if your friend is counting on you.
You and your friends could also make deals with one another. Mark and I currently have an ongoing deal where if we exercise at least 3o minutes a day (not including walks) and at least 4 times a week for two weeks, we’ll be allowed to go on a movie date. Exciting, right? (I have a written copy of the deal if anyone is interested in viewing it :P)
All in all, staying active can be easy if you surround yourself with the right people and find the right resources to support you.
Let’s all make it a goal to exercise at least 3 times this coming week for at least 30 minutes each time! Check in with me on Facebook and let me know how you do!
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