15 Ways to Stay Fit Without Going to the Gym

Let's be honest, gym memberships are expensive and who has time to go four to five times a week to keep in shape? It's difficult to say the least. Everyone wants to stay in shape though and everyone is always looking for quick and easy ways to fight off the fat and stay healthy. There are simple ways that can help you stay fit, you won't see immediate results thats for sure, but if you abide by some of these then you will feel healthier and stay in better shape.

1. Walk instead of drive to near by places. If you're going over 2 miles away or the only way to get some place is to drive than obviously drive. If you're going to block party or the deli across the street take a walk. You'll feel better and you'll be saving gas and the environment.

2. If you are driving, park far away. Everyone wants the spot right next to the mall doors. I choose the spot dangerously far away to I make myself go for a long walk before walking around all day. If you know you're in a not so nice neighborhood then I'll forgive you for parking close.

3. Eat breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day, you feel more full, have more energy, and it's usually something healthy like bananas or cereal with milk. Always, always eat breakfast.

4. Sit up straight and flex. If you're doing work or a presentation that you need to get done right away and have to sit down to finish it, don't slouch! Sit up straight and every once in awhile flex some muscles, especially your abs!

5. Stand up while you're talking on the phone. Everyone has a tendency to sit down while they're talking but if you stand up and walk around a bit you incorporate exercise into talking with your mother-in-law.

6. Stand up while you eat. If you're having a family dinner obviously you should be sitting but if you're eating a granola bar or brown bagged it to work, stand up.

7. Stand up while you work. If you can stand up while you're working your tail off 40 hours a week for not enough money. It's difficult staying in shape with a 9 to 5, do everything you can to try to.

8. Eat slower. The faster you eat the slower your body realizes you're full. If you eat slower you will inevitably eat less and find out that cutting off those extra calories was a big plus, or minus on the scale.

9. Exercise while watching TV. Everyone does it and so do I, we grab a bag of chips sit down and watch football as finely tuned athletic machines rip one another's heads off saying to ourselves I could have done that. Well instead of admiring what they're doing, do some push ups or some crunches for the 2 hours a day you do watch TV.

10. Choose the stairs over the elevator. This is a simple one and a lot of people have taken to it very easily. yes it is easier and quicker to take the elevator but so is being fat and lazy as opposed to lean and energetic.

11. Make yard work a workout. Let's face it you have to do yard work. You have to mow the lawn, trim the bushes, plant the flowers, and so on. Do it as fast as possible and burn more calories. Challenge yourself to do it in a faster time every time.

12. Clean the house. Not only will you earn brownie points but cleanliness is next to godliness. You really have no idea how much of a strain you go through reaching those top shelves to dust.

13. Play with your kids. Personally I don't have kids but come on this one is simple. Kids want your attention I used to love it when my dad would bring me outside to play. Play tag or football or hop scotch. It's simple, you get family time in and you stay in shape.

14. Drink water over sugar drinks. We as a whole drink way too much soda and sugary drinks as is. Try replacing that soda with a water twice a week and watch the results.

15. Cut down on TV time. We all love our TV and our American Idol and Hell's Kitchen. But what are we really getting from it? Only use two hours of your day to watch TV and make it something like the Discovery Channel or CNN.