[Infographic] 10 Gym Alternatives for Busy Parents Who Want to Be Fit/Healthy in 2020

1. Running
   
   Running gets your heart rate pumping than any other workout or sports activities even when you’re exerting the same effort level. It also helps build strength and stress.
   
   The harder your heart works, the more energy—calories—your body burns. The numbers show that jogging can burn an estimated 446 calories per hour or 624 calories per hour for a 10-minute mile pace (for a 140-pound individual).
   
   This is a great exercise to jumpstart your day before you head to work or drop your kids to school. You can run before heading to work or dropping your kids to school. On the weekends, you can make it a bonding activity for the whole family.
   
   
2. Bodyweight exercises
   
   Bodyweight training or exercises consist of movements that are as simple as it gets. Some common bodyweight exercises are push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, plank rotations, mountain climbers, superman, arm/leg plank, and more. You can create a whole workout routine with the exercises mentioned.
   
   Bodyweight exercises allow you to burn fat, engage and work the different muscles in your body, improve posture, relieve stress on your back, and boost metabolism. It’s a highly efficient workout.
   
   Make exercise a fun activity with your kids. Ask them to join your bodyweight workouts and guide them as you go along. If you find time after work, squeeze in a quick high-intensity interval training composed of bodyweight movements.
   
   
3. Cycling
   
   Cycling is a fun way to get fit! It’s an aerobic activity where your heart, blood vessels, and lungs all get a good workout. However, it’s up to you whether you want a slow and light exercise (bike around the neighborhood) or an adventurous one (coast down the hills or trails).
   
   Riding a bicycle is a fun and low-impact exercise for all ages. You can ask your kids to join you cycling on the weekends. Take advantage of its portability: cycle around a park or through a trail. Make sure to arm yourself and your kids with protective gear and safety equipment (bike lights and bells) to ensure safety.
   
   
4. Exercise videos
   
   Everything is possible in the age of the internet. Depending on your preference, you can find all sorts of workouts on YouTube, such as yoga exercises, kickboxing, HIIT, functional training, no-equipment strength training, and more. Any of these will surely help you burn fat, increase your strength, boost your metabolism, and more.
   
   To help you keep motivated, ask your partner or spouse to join your exercises. You can also make it a family activity with your kids. It’s a great way to bond, stay healthy and fit, and get the children moving.
   
   If you want them to enjoy exercising, you have to expose them to it early on. If you have a toddler, you can try this workout to make it fun for both of you (the exercise also works without a kid).
   
   
5. Swimming
   
   Do you live in residences that have a pool area? Perhaps you can find neighborhood or community centers that offer community pools. Take that opportunity to get in the water for a relaxing form of a whole-body workout that’s perfect for all ages. Make it a fun-filled activity with the whole family.
   
   Swimming is a great exercise that helps build your strength, tone your muscles (nearly all your muscles are used when swimming), increase endurance, and maintain a healthy heart and lungs. All this without causing stress or damage to your joints.
   
   
6. Playing with your kids and pets
   
   Have you ever gone out to throw balls with your kid or a game of catch with your dog? It’s an unsuspecting workout disguised as a playful activity. Some excellent exercises you can do with your kids or pets are:
   
   
   • Frisbee - Burns calories, strengthens muscles, increases agility, and boosts your resting metabolic rate
   • Basketball - Burns calories, improves balance, and builds up muscle and endurance
   • Badminton - Helps enhance flexibility and muscle strength, improves metabolic rate, and tones muscles
   
   Aside from these, you can try playing dodgeball (an anaerobic exercise) with the whole family for fun yet fat-burning activity. You can also head to the playground and swing across monkey bars to build your strength.
   
   
7. Invest in some basic fitness tools
   
   If you still want to lift some weights or make your workouts feel more like how it is at the gym, invest in some equipment like dumbbells, kettlebell, jump rope, stability ball, wall ball, foam roller, and many others.
   
   These tools help you exercise specific muscle areas. For instance, kettlebell swings target the muscles of your core, shoulders and lats, hips, glutes, and hamstrings.
   
   Incorporate exercises that use any of these tools in your workout routine. For instance, you can add kettlebell swings, wall balls, arm curls, and more. You can do these workouts before or after work.
   
   
8. Fitness games
   
   Who would’ve thought that a gaming console like Wii or Nintendo Switch can help you achieve your fitness goals this year? If you have either of these at home, dance or play your fat away. Playing Just Dance is an aerobic exercise on itself and can help with weight management and muscle strength.
   
   Nintendo Switch also recently released Ring Fit Adventure, a role-playing game that uses a hoop strapped at the joy-con to keep you entertained while breaking a sweat. It has a variety of mini-games that you can try.
   
   You can do these at home on weekends during your family's quality time or when you have free time before or after work.
   
   
9. Join community activities
   
   Social support interventions can be found in many communities, including group walks and fitness activities, such as Zumba (an aerobic dance class), yoga, Tai Chi, and more. This community effort aims to increase physical activity, encourage friendly competition, and strengthen community bonds.
   
   The health benefits depend on physical activity and its level of intensity. For instance, Zumba workouts melt body fat, helps with stress relief, tones the entire body, and improves your heart health.
   
   Check out the schedule of your community programs to find the best time you can join the activities.
   
   
10. Public courts
    
    Are there any public courts near your house? If yes, head there for an exciting and fat-burning game of basketball, volleyball, or badminton.
    
    Not only are sports beneficial to your physical health (burns calories, improves metabolic rate, develops coordination and concentration, tones muscles, etc.), but they’re also usually free. You only have to bring your own equipment.
    
    You can bring your family and invite your neighborhood friends for an exciting morning badminton or basketball exercise on weekends.

As long as you’re moving, you’re winning

A gym membership isn’t a necessity, but merely a luxury not everyone can afford or commit to. Plus, you get to put that fund on more important ones, like your savings, investments, or a health insurance plan.

With all these fantastic ways to workout sans a gym membership, you get to curate your own routine as you see fit. Additionally, these creative ways to melt fat allow you to exercise on your own time and wherever you want. You can also spend more time with your family as you keep yourself healthy.

When you inject diversity and fun in your workouts, it feels less like a dull routine and more like something to look forward to.

Are you thinking of other ways on how you can manage your finances better? Reach out to one of our Bancassurance Sales Executive at any of our 900 BPI branches to learn more!