It screams “working out”, but not at the gym.
Being regarded as “hot” is a goal as old as time. However, the thought of achieving such status comes with working out and for many, that automatically means the gym. If not the gym, the game plan usually includes a series of home workouts that get dropped in under a month. Many people, at one point myself included, figured that there were only two ways to be regarded as hot: the gym, which in my eyes was regarded as the ultimate way; and home workouts which consisted of squats, burpees, some mountain climbers, high knees, planks and ended in wall sits. If you’re like me and the gym just won’t cut it for the fitness journey, then you can check out some of these alternatives.
Pole fitness
This fitness type incorporates the whole body. Not to be confused with pole dancing, which places a focus on both sensualism and eroticism, pole fitness combines artistic dance, acrobatics and strength exercises through the sport, which in turn builds up one’s strength, endurance and flexibility.
Aerial fitness
Working out mid air has been proven to be an effective alternative to the gym. It is a great way to burn fat and work out your entire body and is also great for toning and burning calories. You can opt for different aerial workouts such as Aerial Yoga, Aerial Fabric Workouts – geared toward toning and strengthening of the abdomen, the Kangoo Jump which uses special boots that allow users to jump higher, the Body Jump otherwise known as Power Jump or Mini Trampoline which involves participants jumping on an individual trampoline and moving to the music. Also on the list is the Airfit which fuses exercises such as push-ups or squats and uses bungee ropes to keep the body moving constantly throughout the air; or even TRX workouts where participants, although not suspended in the air, are often found supporting themselves just on their feet, knees and hands while the rest of their body hangs in mid-air.
Calisthenics
Calisthenics promote strength, endurance, flexibility, and coordination and augment the body’s general well-being by placing controllable, regular demands upon the cardiovascular system. The exercises can function as physique builders or serve as warm-ups for more-strenuous sports or exertions. Some exercises that can be performed are squats, lunges, pull-ups, inverted rows, push-ups and dips. With these exercises, your body weight is used to gain strength and get in shape. Calisthenics also helps burn fat, reduce cellulite, tone your body, and improve your stamina, all done without fancy gear or the gym.
Parkour
It’s all about speed. Parcours du combattant, meaning obstacle course, is an athletic training discipline or sport in which practitioners (traceur if male or traceuse if female), attempt to get from point A to point B in the fastest and most efficient way possible. This is set to be accomplished without the assistance of equipment, sometimes employing artistic-gymnastic maneuvers. It includes running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, plyometrics, rolling, gymnastics, and quadrupedal movement which can all be done alone or with company, but can be done anywhere. Developed in France, it gained popularity via internet videos, games and the James Bond movie Casino Royale (2006).
As for weight loss, growing up I’d often hear people mention two things and I always thought they were wild: Go through your significant other’s phone and “just do coke”.
Going through your significant other’s phone or device
Going on its umpteenth year is the crack that goes something along the lines of “If you want to lose weight, go through your partner’s phone” This saying is said in a light manner but it has some truth to it. I remember once a relationship of mine ended and for five days, Monday to Friday, I had not one bite. My appetite became nonexistent as food was the furthest thing from my mind. As recently as December 31, 2022 a clip where a woman made the remark that losing weight is easy that you just have to “fall in love with someone and then look through their phone”. This was met with comments like “Safe advice”, “It ain’t a lie”, “There’s experience there” and a bout of all-knowing laughter.
“Just do coke.”
Cocaine, after people began seeing the weight it carves off, became known as “the skinny drug” and a glowing favorite of women everywhere. Banyan Treatment Center details that it “works as a stimulant, cocaine causes people to feel energized and more alert. For regular cocaine users, this often means long periods of wakefulness and activity that may take the place of normal sleeping hours. For this reason, regular cocaine users may burn more calories than they would have otherwise. Along with an increase in energy, cocaine is also rumored to suppress appetite. Not only will users be awake and active, but also, they may not eat while under the influence of this drug. Regular and heavy cocaine users often don’t eat regularly and when they do, it is not a full meal. When these poor eating habits become routine, they can lead to unhealthy weight loss.”
Whole Body Cryotherapy
Jokes aside, from Usain Bolt to actors, the benefits of Whole Body Cryotherapy have been given the nod from many including athletes and those really serious about their physical wellbeing. Whole Body Cryotherapy (WBC) involves allowing your body to be exposed to subzero temperatures (-185 degrees fahrenheit) for two to three minutes. From this, a plethora of benefits derive. Doing this allows the body to be cooled and in the sea of benefits, it has been said to give pain relief, accelerate injury recovery and even boost one’s mood. Sitting in the cryo chamber for a couple minutes has been said to have a hand in the quality of life people lead. For instance, actress Jennifer Aniston chalks up her youthful appearance to regular cryotherapy sessions mixed with her healthy lifestyle. Cryotherapy has been linked to improvement in the skin, especially elasticity. There’s an increase in blood and cryotherapy has the ability to aid in flushing toxins from the skin. Whole Body Cryotherapy, think of it like having an extreme ice pack on the areas throughout your body that are in need.
And if none of those sound appealing to you either, here are a few other, more mainstream ways to get fit outside the gym:
Pilates
Running
Swimming
Indoor Circuits
Walking
Cycling
Point of the matter is – gym alternatives exist.
With some people opposing the gym because of membership prices or it simply is the fact that their schedule won’t allow it, alternatives have to come into play. That is where swimming, calisthenics and even cryotherapy come into play because the gym is not the only way to achieve your fitness goals. So get out there and get movin’!
