please, tell me about unusual ways of keeping fit

Going to the gym can be a great way to get fit, but it’s not for everyone. A lot of us don’t have the finances to cope with the ever increasing costs, plus it can be a pretty dull way to spend a few hours. But there are plenty of more unusual ways to exercise that can be both fun and effective. Here are four of the best.

Paintballing

Paintballing is something a lot of us do every so often, but playing regularly is a great way to get fit. It’s a lot easier to keep going when you’re tired when you know that slacking off might result in getting shot. If you want to be as fit as a frontline solider it’s the perfect pastime for you.

You can even get a team together and join a league. It’s something that’s caught on in most countries so you should be able to find one wherever you’re based.

Chop Some Wood

Men who spend their afternoons ‘pumping iron’ in a crowded gym might think that they’re pretty manly, but in reality they’re nowhere near your average wood cutter on the testosterone scale. What’s cooler, pulling a cable that’s attached to a few weights or repeatedly swinging a large axe at a chunk of wood?

Chopping wood isn’t just cool, it’s also practical. Just think of all the money you’ll save on heating! Obviously this only applies if you’ve got some sort of fireplace in which to burn it. It’s probably not wise to set fire to pile of logs on your living room carpet.

Join a Green Gym

Relax, a green gym is nothing like your average fitness centre. A trip to one is not only fun but also good for the environment.

The principal behind the Green Gym scheme is to give people the chance to improve their health and fitness in the great outdoors whilst making improvements to their local environment. You could find yourself planting new trees, constructing a new footpath or setting up a new area of allotments. The possibilities are endless really.

If you’re thinking this doesn’t sound like real exercise you might be interested to know that an hour of typical green gym works burns more calories than a traditional step aerobics class. There are also a whole host of psychological benefits associated with green gyms, which mostly stem from the fact that the attendees are making a positive environmental impact.

Ditch Your Car

Getting rid of your car might seem a bit drastic, but you’ll soon notice the fitness benefits. Say you’d normally drive to the local store to pick up your groceries. Well if you haven’t got a vehicle anymore you won’t be able to.

If you live in a remote location it might not be the best idea for you. Then again you could always invest in a bicycle, and take advantage of public transport where available. Standing up on a train or bus is a great way to improve your balance and overall fitness. It certainly beats hunching over the wheel of your car.

Author: When he’s not chopping wood and cycling to work Colin Peters writes about the most unusual presents for Find Me A Gift.