It’s the last month of the year and are you still struggling to meet those stubborn fitness goals you set last year? Did Deepika Padukone‘s ridiculously hot bod in Lovely leave you a little blue? These are all signs that it’s finally time to get serious! Read on for 10 sneaky tips you can incorporate into your day to day routine to kick-start 2015 with the body and fitness you have in mind, step by step, without the help of a gym!
1) Start up your own Bootcamp
For the creative minds of the lot – get together with some friends and take turns to create your own Bootcamps. Each person in the group can take turns to come up with some new exercises each week or every couple of days. Coolest way to hang out!
2) Get to know your City
Embrace your inner adventurer…go ahead and be bold, daring and adventurous! I bet there are atleast ten places in your city you had no clue existed or you’ve been meaning to go to, but just haven’t had the time. Well, go for it! Take out a few hours every week or twice a week, make it your mission to scout out some place you’ve never been to before and try to do it on foot (or at least semi by foot)! Most adventurous way to burn calories.
3) Marathon with Friends
There are several out-of-the-ordinary runs you can participate in, many of which are for a good cause. Keep your eyes peeled for the Neon Fun Run – a 5 Km night-time spectacular run with four unique neon zones of rock, disco, pop and house music. A total party for your body, literally! Milind Soman and Rahul Bose are perfect examples of hotties with a love for marathons! Ladies, take note.
4) Join Dance Classes
Love getting your boogey on every now and then? If so, this option was made for you. Join some dance classes…pronto! There are so many different dance genres to choose from whether it be Salsa, Rock n’Roll, Ball Room, Hip-Hop, Contemporary or even Bollywood. So go ahead and take your pick!
5) Turn your chores into a workout
If you’re a bit of a cleanliness freak and you prefer getting things done yourself, these tips will certainly be of interest. Make grocery shopping an exercise! Ban trolleys (as far as you can avoid them) and carry your bags to the car yourself. Hand wash your car every other weekend. Switch off that TV and get down and dirty with a mop or broom every few days. The key is to keep your heart racing! Music blasting helps a LOT.
6) Make TV time, workout time
Calling all soap opera addicts. You know how you plop down onto the couch, grab some comfort food and dedicatedly watch those fave TV shows every night? Well, you can do exactly that – just ditch the munchies, and instead of sinking into your couch, watch your soaps while working on your abs, doing a few jumping jacks, skipping or squatting. Alternate with your exercises and trust me when I say: this kind of workout makes time fly.
7) Make Happy Hour a sports sesh with mates
Why not change things up a little when you’re meeting up for that weekly happy hour with colleagues? Instead of sitting around at the same bar with the same drinks, get everyone together for a team session of soccer, cricket, dodgeball or even kickboxing – you choose!
8) Get rid of shortcuts
Go the extra mile, and you will be rewarded! Avoid lifts, take the stairs instead. If you’re walking somewhere, take the long routes and make sure you speed up your pace a little – this ain’t no stroll in the park! If you’re not a fan of jogging, that’s absolutely fine but make sure you take small, quick strides and make it a goal to keep walking until you reach your destination. Headphones and your fave tunes will help with this.
9) Visit a sauna or steam room
When you’ve had a busier day than words can describe and anything physical is just beyond you – make these hot spots your best friends. Not only are they great for shedding calories without actually doing anything strenuous, but they’re also great for your skin! Just remember to stay hydrated when you opt for these.
10) Try Yoga
Not one for intense, sweaty workouts? Try Yoga. The great thing about Yoga is that you can do this all in the comfort of your living room. All you need is a mat and yourself. There are ample videos on YouTube that will guide you as you go and it’s super easy to get your hands on a Yoga DVD. In fact, Shilpa Shetty has a video on YouTube in which the actress herself takes you through various yogic postures and breathing. Give it a shot with Shilpa!
Couch Potato who? Never again! Incorporate a few of the above tricks into your life and I promise, 2015 will see a brand new you.