What Is The Best Way To Get Fit in 2023? Don’t Go To The Gym!

Last updated on September 22nd, 2023 at 12:47 pm

Best Way To Get Fit

Its January, you have just had a great Christmas and New Year. If like me and virtually every other person you will have no doubt added a few pounds. You want to get fit and naturally you ask yourself, what is the best way to get fit?

Is it time to check out those gym membership offers? Well I’d say for most people the answer is actually no! Intrigued? Let me explain what the best way to get fit and stay fit really is.

First things first if you are already a gym person then there’s no need to be reading this article. Let’s be honest most of us aren’t and each January we say the same thing “I’m going to get fit and lose weight.”

The problem is every year we may sign up for gym membership with good intentions and by the end of February we have stopped going but intend to get back into going. This of course never happens and we known deep down we have no intention of going regularly.

The end result is a lot of money wasted and we are still unfit and overweight! Plus some gyms can be pain with auto renewals and oh you didn’t see the small print about cancelling, oh what a hassle they can be! I know there have been lots of these types cases of this in the UK over the last couple of years.

How Much Will This Cost?

How can we get fit without spending lots of cash and more importantly keep doing it all year round?

Well the first thing you need to understand is why you stop going to the gym every week. Unsurprisingly the answer is quite obvious, you don’t enjoy it!!!

The reason you stop going to the gym, who really likes running on a treadmill? Why bother with any treadmill workouts when you could go for run around the block, at least you have a real start and finish with real things to take your mind off the running.

Put simply if you don’t enjoy something you’re not going to stick at it. What you need is some way of getting fit without the focus being on the fitness aspect.

What do I mean? Sport of course but don’t worry this is not about being competitive, this is sport that is focused on enjoyment and having a laugh.

There are several sports you could consider, for example if you have a number friends or work colleagues all wanting to get fit you could arrange a weekly five a side football (Soccer) game after work.

Sound too much like serious sport? One of the most accessible sports in my opinion is that of badminton. Why? You only need two people, you can have fun even playing in your back garden, you don’t even have to leave your home!

Personally I would of course recommend playing at your local leisure centre or badminton club.

Who To Play With?

Hire a court and play with your family and friends each week. Sure you might not have played for years or since you were at school, but that’s fine because you will have a laugh getting back into the swing of things, so to speak!

It doesn’t matter whether your old or young, what matters the most is who you play with. You need to play badminton or whatever the sport you have chosen to help you get fit, with friends who don’t take the game too seriously.

Why Badminton?

Is badminton good exercise? I’ve chosen badminton as my number one suggestion for The Best Way To Get Fit because anyone can start playing. As I said have a game in the garden or any open space wind permitting. That last point may actually be solved with the introduction of AirBadminton which uses a special shuttlecock. Other sports don’t offer such an easy way in, Tennis is good example of that.

The problem with Tennis is it’s quite hard at the beginning to have a decent game. If you played it a school you know exactly what I mean. I don’t think I ever had an enjoyable game due to people smashing balls everywhere and then spending most of the time retrieving them. That’s just not fun.

I’m not knocking Tennis as sport. No, I like it but it can be hard to enjoy until you have mastered the basics. However if you do choose this as your weekly sport, a Tennis workout will improve your fitness quickly.

Squash will give you one hell of a workout but again has the downside of being too intense and competitive that the fun factor can soon be lost.

Choose A Sport That Needs At Least Two People

There are of course many other sports you could take up, but The Best Way To Get Fit guide requires you to want to keep doing it all year round and thus you must have fun playing it.

The key thing to note is to choose a sport that has to be played by a least two people. Why? Again it’s another simple reason. When one of you is not really in the mood the other person(s) can motivate or encourage them play that week.

Let’s face it who wants to be the one letting the side down. Oh no we are one person short this week because Jeff or Jane didn’t show.

So why not dig out that old badminton racket or pop down to the local sports shop and pick up a nice new one. Remember you don’t need the expensive racket (or racquet) to enjoy a good fun game whilst improving your badminton skills and your waistline.

I’m certain if you take up a sport like badminton you have a far greater chance of sticking with it. This is because you are looking forward to playing rather thinking “Oh I really should go to the gym this week.” You will soon be getting fitter and starting to lose that excess weight within a couple of months.

Need help with other areas of the sport?

What Are The Benefits Of Playing Badminton?

Health benefits and general fitness. It may not be the main reason you are playing the sport but it’s a great side effect! Sure you won’t get a six pack just playing sport but who really needs one?

This really is the easiest way to get fit (I know you still need to put some effort in). Just think of the host of health benefits, especially with a lot of us being in danger of developing conditions such Type 2 diabetes which is often associated with obesity.

Will badminton get me fit? Badminton will give you a good physical workout for those out of shape and for those wanting to maintain their fitness. Beginners can get a good cardiovascular workout all while having some fun in a social environment.

It’s a sport which has lots of local clubs / leagues you can join but the social aspect is just as important as the competitive nature of badminton. Remember there’s plenty of fun to be had!

But What If I Don’t Like Badminton?

Don’t worry if Badminton’s not your cup of tea, I used it here because it offers one of the best workout programs.

The best way to get fit and stay fit requires you to find a sport that you enjoy or used to. Here are a few more suggestions:

As you can see some of these are team games which means you need quite a few friends or you need to join a team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is playing badminton a good form of exercise?

Absolutely, it provides a great all-round physical workout and is a particularly good cardio workout.

Conclusion – The Best Way To Get Fit Is Playing Sport

There really are no easy ways to get fit, but by taking the focus off the getting fit aspect and making it more about having enjoyment and fun, you can improve fitness and lose weight without really realising.

Now that has to be the best way! One more piece of advice don’t keep checking the scales, once or twice a month is enough. Obviously it should be said don’t carry on eating the amount and kinds of foods you ate over the Christmas period.

Do all this and you really don’t need to stick rigidly to a physical fitness program down at the gym.

It should be noted I’m note against people going to the gym. If you love going that’s great, please enjoy yourself. However for the rest of us there is another way.

What is the best way to get fit and stay fit? Don’t go to the gym find a fun sport to play with a friend or family member once a week.

How to keep fit and healthy? Hopefully this guide will go someway to helping you start to lose weight in a month or two without going to the gym. It may not be the fastest way to get fit but its the best to retain fitness long term.

Please feel free to let me know what sport you chose and how well it’s going. Have you managed to keep it up beyond a few months?

Please feel free to let me know how you think the best way to get fit is.

Good luck…