By Weetabix, Elastic Waist
Fitness is good for you. Big fat duh.
But with all of the gym promotions and Biggest Loser-type makeover shows, we get so focused on how exercise makes us look that we sort of lost the entire point of fitness: to make your body healthier. Healthy isn't about how you look (just ask any one of the dozens of starving starlets in Hollywood who aren't physically strong enough to carry two sacks of groceries) but rather the inner workings of your blood and guts that never ever get mentioned on the cover of a glossy. Check it: not only do you help your heart get stronger so that it can do a better job of pumping blood, but when you are out of breath, it's because your body needs more red blood cells, so it starts cranking out more of those bad boys and then your physical machine breathes more efficiently. Plus, you are just not going to believe what's going on at the cellular level.
This is all very cool and exciting, but what if you rarely exercise so your bod hasn't started doing all of the great stuff it needs to do? What if you just plain old don't like to sweat? Here are five kick starts to get your factory making those red blood cells and building muscle.
* Shake your booty. Call up the friends, put on a pair of solid boots and go dancing! Make sure you go with a sturdy heel, like a stacked wedge. Spikes look awesome, but you'll be aching in all the wrong places only a few songs in.
* Take a trip! Instead of a rental car or taxis, get a bike, canoe or a backpack. It's amazing how much more more enjoyable it is to just walk around in a strange city or country.
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Pick up the Honey Do list. You'd be amazed how much you work your muscles just by raking, gardening, painting, putting in a tile floor or cleaning out the garage. There's a reason that so many of those construction workers are hard bodies.
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Play a sport. This seems like a no-brainer, but how many of us actually do this? And yet, think of the last time you played tennis, volleyball or even horseshoes with a group of friends. It was fun, right? Plus, think of all the incredible activities that you've always wanted to try! Rock climbing? Snowboarding? Boxing? Fencing? Triathlon? What are you waiting for?
