So I really want to be more fit, get more in shape. I have tried the gym but I just really don't like it. I am desperately searching for some sort of exercise or sports I would do as a hobby not a choir.
The only active things I like are walking and wind surfing, but I live in a wet climate with very little sunshine.
I'd also like to add because I have a weak hearth competitive sports are pretty much out.
Check out http://www.shovelglove.com/ Buy a 5-10lb sledgehammer at the local hardware store, wrap the hammer portion in something absorbent, like a towel or somesuch. Can do a variety of exercises, cardio, strength training, flexibility, website should give you the basic lowdown, there are also videos on youtube. The awesome thing about this is: 1) Don't need to go to a gym, or outside, can be done in your own bedroom if it's not too crowded 2) All sorts of exercises you can do, like pretending to shovel snow, or putting posts in the ground, or chopping down a tree with an axe, lifting an overhead door, carrying heavy groceries, and so on. Can make it fun, not too monotonous. 3) Very easy to, in the middle of the day, walk over to the shovelglove, pick it up, do 2 minutes of a random routine, then maybe again later in the day. Nifty for people with short attention spans.
How about swimming? It's a great work out, but at the same time it's relatively low intensity and non-competitive. I don't know how debilitating your heart condition is so maybe swimming would be too strenuous?
Climbing is a great option. It's a full body work out that will often "sneak up" on you. The mix of strength and technique keeps it interesting. It's an incredibly fun and social sport. The climbing community is surprisingly varied, and very welcoming. I've spent many a day talking way more then climbing. It's also very cheap to try out.. Not so much if you get REALLY into it, but for beginners the bar is low. If you make the big leap, climbing outdoors is unreal. There's nothing like the gorgeous views, technical work, and mind-numbing adrenaline rushes.
You could try cycling. Not only is it something you can use as a form of sporting/exercise, but you can also enjoy it as a simple activity out on the town or even a form of commuting. I love riding my bike for leisure, and you can freely choose when you want to push yourself and when you'd rather cruise slow and enjoy the scenery.
I used to be a sports guy, played soccer till I was 15. Then, injury... Stopped sports altogether until 3 months ago (I'm 26 now), when I found a website in my language that tailors a body weight training program according to your shape. I've always been skinny so maybe that doesn't apply to you, but in 3 months I can already see big changes in my posture and overall shape. I can see muscles popping out aswell. If you have shit weather like I do, maybe you should give body weight fitness a try. fitloop.co is a nice starting point.
Thanks for this, it's just the kind of thing I've been looking for. I've let myself go a bit over the past few years and tried to get into the gym, but it's just not my bag. I love cycling but I moved to an area where the traffic is really fast and a bit scary. I've always thought that you can get fit just using your body, but didn't know where to start. Et voilà!
Well, with cycling, you can never miss leg day. And if you are in a place where you could do mountain biking, it's a pretty good workout for your upper body too, especially your lower back. You could also look into something called Street Workout. It's basically competitive calisthenics, or bastard form of gymnastics. It takes some training, but once you have a basic strength level, you can pretty much just mess around.
Unicycling was the most intense full body workout I've ever done. It's been a few years since I last owned one, but learning to ride one will force you to use muscles you didn't know you had. Legs of course to pedal, balance and steer.
Arms to balance and steer.
Abs to balance. There is no coasting so you are constantly moving and balancing. I highly recommend it if you're not afraid of trying something a bit unusual!
Mayba tabata or hiit can help you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training you won't get around sport to be fit, but there are many different ways of archiving fitness.
If you like walking you can call a friend and do hiking in sunny days.
You can start going out by bike or walking, avoid to use car o public transportation unless you need it. You can do 15 km by bike to go to work in one hour or less. In my city rains a lot and I use a poncho to cover me. My friends do also a 7 Minute Workout, I don't know if it works but they are very happy to do it and they are using an app where they challenge together. The most important part is eat well. Avoid restaurants and try to do your own food, and try to eat simple.
My diet is the following, is based on quality of food, not on quantity:
- I eat meat only once a week. The meat must be white (Chicken, Turkey). - I eat only pasta, bread and similar foods only with whole wheat - I don't like fish but I should eat oily fish - I eat a lot of vegetables, seeds and dried fruit - I eat light in the evening (mainly salads until I am full) - I don't eat anything that is fried, sweets, drink alcohol, cheese.
If you like walking and don't like gyms, you can try jogging (it's like walking, but faster!). This would be more efficient if your goal is to get fit. You can set a distance/time goal for each jogging session to keep yourself motivated.
I found the Insanity workout series very good when I was trying to improve my fitness. It's mainly bodyweight cardio exercises and will drastically improve your fitness, but it's also definitely not for everyone. I found having a focus and instructor motivational, while my wife found it boring and eventually monotonous. She greatly prefers to take group classes at the gym. Probably the best thing to do is find a hobby that is also physical activity, enjoyment is a hugely important part of maintaining motivation. What you will probably find though is that once you have been exercising for a few weeks, you start to gain motivation from your own improvements, further reinforcing your motivation. It's that first three weeks of so that are the only real struggle.