Those who have a love for being active know that there are a variety of options out there when it comes to sports. You don’t have to feel stuck lifting weights in the gym in order to get in shape.
Spending time at the gym is a great way to train your mind to get used to regular workouts. Your body can adjust over time, depending on how new you are to the exercise. With the exception of the biggest gym lovers, most people eventually tire of going to the same place and doing the same thing.
Try Some New Sports
If you’re feeling that way about your exercise routine, consider trying a new sport. Changing things up will help get you into shape without doing the same old workouts. You may even find that the new sport builds muscles and tones you down better than before. It might even make you more attractive.
1. Rowing
When you’re getting into shape, you’re probably looking for a workout that’s a combination of cardio and weight lifting. Switching those up gets you faster results, instead of sticking with one or the other.
Rowing pairs those two types of workouts together perfectly, in many different settings. Gyms typically have rowing machines that you can use indoors, with pre-programmed workouts and even games built-in.
You can also pick up rowing with a local club or on your own. Investing in a kayak will give you a new hobby and workout at the same time. If you like it enough, there are even competitions you can enter once you’ve spent time honing your skills.
2. Swimming
Swimming may be one of the most popular sports in the world. It’s done by people of all ages, which makes it accessible and easy to start if you’re not used to swimming for exercise.
Most trainers agree that swimming is the best workout because it exercises your entire body at once. It builds up endurance while strengthening your lungs. Deep, frequent breaths make your body use oxygen more efficiently over time.
You’ll also get resistance training since you’re dragging your body through the water. Additional equipment like a kickboard can add to the resistance.
Swimming also keeps you from getting drenched in sweat, which is a major bonus for anyone who hates carrying around a damp towel at the gym.
3. Gymnastics
You may not think about gymnastics until the Olympic competitors make the news every two years, but it’s a fantastic sport for sculpting muscle. While you’re doing gymnastic moves, you’ll be burning calories at a fast rate, shredding unnecessary body fat in exchange for muscle.
Gymnastics is all about body toning and conditioning. Some time is also spent becoming more flexible, but that only leads to faster weight loss as your muscles become leaner.
This may also be a sport to consider if years of weight lifting have disrupted your body posture. The gymnastics routines will stretch your spine and shift you back into better posture when you’re standing and sitting, leading to improved health down the road.
4. Snowboarding
Tired of sit-ups and planks? You can easily strengthen your core by trying out a bit of snowboarding. When you snowboard, your core is constantly engaged by controlling the movement of the board.
You’ll also get a workout in your thighs since a slight squatting position will give you better aerodynamics. It’s a workout that’s made even more exciting with the rush of adrenaline that comes from navigating down a slope with only a board between you and the snow.
If you’re interested in snowboarding, make sure you get your equipment fitted. Equipment that doesn’t fit will pose a significant danger. It’s safer to take your time and make sure everything fits correctly before going out for your first round on your board.
5. Wrestling
Wrestling matches happen very quickly. A few right moves could win you enough rounds to walk home with a championship title, but first, you need to work out to get to that point.
Wrestling requires certain conditioning that targets endurance and muscle building. Depending on your weight class, you may even need to do some cardio to lose weight. Training to wrestle will always give you different workout options, with all of them leading to success in the ring.
There are two main reasons why wrestling is different from other endurance sports. The first is how quickly the main event is finished. You take a minute or two to pump that heart rate up and then you pause before jumping back in for the next round.
The other reason is that wrestling isn’t just about developing your own willpower. It’s about exerting power over your competitor from getting into shape. That kind of power is unique to wrestling, which is why it calls so many people to participate in the sport.
6. Running
If you try to picture a professional runner, you may imagine the stereotypical runner that has very little muscle. While running is a great way to lose weight and tone your body, it can also be used in combination with strength training to build more muscle mass.
In addition to weights, running workouts also have other kinds of strength training. Push-ups, mountain climbers, and even tricep dips are all workouts used by runners who want to improve at the sport.
As long as you always stretch before running, it’s a workout that can literally take you all over the globe. You’ll never have to feel tied down to a single gym when you use running as your main form of exercise.
Try Something New
Getting into a new sport may feel intimidating at first. People sometimes have the common belief that if you’re going to jump into a sport, you have to start when you’re young.
There are benefits to starting certain sports at a younger age, but it’s always a good time to try something new. Check out these sports and see if any of them sound right for you. They’ll all help you get in shape, so you can get back to enjoying your workouts on your way to your health goals.
