How do I lose weight without purchasing a gym membership? One of the key factors here is to get your body moving to lose weight.
In fact, there are several things you can do on a daily basis that will help to kickstart your body into losing weight, and there are several exercises you can do on your own to achieve this goal.
It is important to get active if you want to lose weight. This is what people mean when they say weight loss is a lifestyle change.
There is no excuse not to get the proper exercise. You have to burn calories, and the more active you are, the more you will burn.
You don’t need to join a gym. Take up a sport and have some fun. Run or walk around the neighborhood. Find some at home exercises you can do. The internet is full of them.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that people need a minimum of:
150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking, riding a bike on level ground, or pushing a lawn mower) or 75 minutes per week of high-intensity aerobic exercise (such as running, jogging, riding a bike up hills or fast on level ground, swimming laps, or playing high-energy sports such as basketball or singles tennis)
At least two sessions per week of strength training exercises such as lifting weights, working with resistance bands, engaging in strenuous functional activities like shoveling dirt, or doing exercises that use body weight (push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, sit-ups, etc.)
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If you want to lose weight, you have to beat that number and beat it consistently.
It does give you a great number to shoot for though and shows you what minimums healthy people should aim for.
There is nothing else really to be said. If you want to lose weight, you have to make physical activity a part of your daily routine.
30 Tips to Be Active to Stay in Shape and Lose Weight
Tip #1: Three days of 30-minute exercise will help you to maintain your weight.
You need at least 4 days of 30-minute exercise to begin to lose weight, and 5 days a week is even better.
Tip #2: Collect information on exercise and easy things you can do from your own home.
There is tons of extensive research available on exercise, and you can choose what will assist you the most to meet your weight loss goals.
Browse the Internet or pick up some books on health and exercise from your local bookstore or library to learn more and how to burn off the desired number of calories you are trying to burn each week.
Tip #3: Take a day off from exercising to provide your body with a chance to rest and repair.
Your body needs a day off once a week.
Tip #4: When your body tells you it has had enough, take a break.
When you have worked out for a considerable amount of time, you will start receiving signals from your body. This is particularly important when you are just getting started in your exercise routine.
Tip #5: If you decide to increase the length of your workouts, do so gradually.
The same is true for the intensity of your workouts.
Tip #6: Select an exercise routine that suits your lifestyle.
Everybody has a different lifestyle and a different profession. There is no set time that you should or should not workout.
If you like to workout late before you go to bed because it is relaxing to you, then do it. But, if you like to workout early in the morning because it helps you wake up, then that’s great too.
Some people like to workout on their lunch break to take a break from the stress of their job or because that is the only time they have available.
Tip #7: Don’t stand around; walk around.
If you can walk around, then do it. People who are pacers are actually doing themselves a lot of good because they are constantly moving. Pacing also helps you think.
Tip #8: Don’t sit when you can stand.
If you can stand comfortably, you will burn more calories doing so than if you were to sit.
Tip #9: Don’t lie down when you can sit.
Same concept as the two tips above.
Tip #10: The couch and the television are anti-weight loss.
If you are inclined to become a couch potato, don’t sit on it. In fact, if you have to, put a not-so-comfortable chair in front of the television so you won’t spend so much time in front of it.
The same is true for the computer if you’re a computer junkie. Some people have a more comfortable chair in front of their computer than they do in front of their television.
This is, of course, if you don’t work from home and need to work hours at a time in front of your computer because your chair is very important then.
Tip #11: If you have a job where you sit the whole time, stand up and stretch every half hour or so.
Most of the jobs today are in front of a computer and require you to sit. If you have a job like this, make it a point to move every so often.
Tip #12: Walk around while you’re on the telephone.
You’ll get a good workout if it is a long conversation.
Tip #13: Use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
These are great conveniences, but they make us very lazy. Also, it may be quicker to take the stairs than to wait on an elevator to open.
Tip #14: If you can’t run for a physical reason, then try 15 minutes of brisk walking to keep fit.
Tip #15: Walk anywhere if you have time.
If work or the grocery store is not far away, consider walking there or riding a bike. It may take you longer, but you’re getting your workout in at the same time.
Tip #16: Hide the remote control from yourself.
Remote controls are also evil when it comes to losing weight. If you didn’t have a remote, you may not even turn on the television, which means you might find more active things to do.
Get up and change the channel if you don’t have a remote, or go for a walk instead of watching TV.
Tip #17: Do your own fetching.
If you need something from the kitchen, the TV channel changed, the mail or newspaper from the driveway, walk and get it yourself. Adding a little walking to your day will do wonders for you.
Tip #18: Walk along or climb the escalator with it, or just take the stairs.
Tip #19: Walk around during commercial breaks or do simple exercises like crunches or bending over and touching your toes.
Do anything to get your body moving more and to keep your blood pumping.
Tip #20: Turn on some music and dance.
Again, the more you get moving, the better you will feel and the more weight you will lose.
Tip #21: If you take public transportation, get off a block before your stop and walk the remainder of the way.
This is a good way to squeeze in a walk before and after work or on the way to another destination.
Tip #22: Suck in your stomach when you walk.
Walk properly, but do your best to keep that stomach tucked in. You will soon begin to feel those muscles tightening.
Tip #23: Do breathing exercises to tone your midsection.
It is amazing how breathing properly and with your entire diaphragm can actually help to tighten your abdominal muscles.
Most people breathe way too shallow as it is, and oxygen is good for the brain.
Tip #24: Take the stairs two at a time instead of one at a time.
This causes you to have to exert yourself more and increases your heart rate.
Tip #25: Use a chart, like the one below, to assist you in your weight loss endeavors.
This chart shows you how many calories each of these common exercises burns based on 20 minutes.
| Exercise | Calories Burned |
| Aerobics | 200-250 |
| Stationary Bicycling | 250-300 |
| Actual Bicycling | 300-400 |
| Running at 5-6 mph | 300-350 |
| Stairclimber | 200-250 |
| Swimming Laps | 350 |
| Brisk Walking | 150-180 |
| Weeding and Cultivating Your Garden | 130-200 |
| Sex (Yes, sex can be exercise too) | 50-60 |
| Basketball – shooting baskets to playing a game | 130-250 |
| Golf – carrying clubs, no cart | 166 |
| Golf – carrying clubs, based on 2 hours of play instead of 20 minutes | 1000 |
| Snorkeling | 150-200 |
| Water Skiing | 180-200 |
| Ice Skating – general | 200-250 |
| Cross Country Skiing, 2.5 mph, light effort | 200-250 |
| General Skiing | 200-250 |
| Scuba Diving | 200-250 |
| Whitewater rafting, kayaking or canoeing | 150-200 |
| Flag or Touch Football | 250-300 |
| Horseback Riding – Trotting | 200-250 |
| Martial Arts | 300-350 |
| Racquetball | 200-250 |
| Volleyball – 6 to 9 person team | 90-120 |
| Volleyball – Beach | 25-300 |
| Tennis – singles | 250-300 |
| Tai Chi | 120-180 |
*Your results will depend on how much you currently weigh as well.
From this chart, you can see that walking is a great way to get exercise. If you’re too busy to do any of the other exercises, a good walk is a good start.
Tip #26: Swim whenever you can.
Swimming is a great way to get your cardio exercise, and it’s low to no impact on your joints, which is great for people who have osteoporosis or joint problems.
Tip #27: Try playing tennis or basketball.
Playing games is a great way to get into shape. It’s also more fun to workout with someone else in a competitive atmosphere.
You will be more driven to push yourself, and you’ll burn more calories; just don’t overdo it.
Tip #28: Don’t carry your wireless phone or cell phone with you.
If it rings, go walk for it. There are so many conveniences in life, and we always have everything we need at our fingertips, but this is obviously bad for the waistline.
Tip #29: Don’t slouch in your chair.
Try to sit up straight and erect at all times. Slouching is bad for your back and gives you a flabby figure. Make it a point to always sit and stand with good posture.
Tip #30: Most people would like to target their stomachs and get rid of that area altogether.
Unfortunately, we can’t spot reduce. But one thing you can do is a breathing exercise to help tighten those stomach muscles.
Breathe in the air as strong as you can and tuck your stomach at the same time as much as you can. Hold it for a few seconds and then slowly let it out.
Don’t let it out so fast that your belly flops out. This is not good. Try to breathe like this whenever you think about it, about 50-60 times a day is ideal. This will help you to lose at least an inch within 20 days or so.
If you are willing to let go and throw away the comforts of your life, fitness and a healthy life will be yours.
Choose which of these comforts that you have that you can let go and live without, such as not using elevators, not using remote controls, or walking further.
Our body is designed to be active and to work. Thus, why not use it for the activities that you love, like playing sports, volunteering, doing charities, doing your hobbies, and the like?
All of these, more than losing weight, are to keep you healthy and fit for you to enjoy life, reach your dreams, and be the best that you can be.
