10 Ways To Get Fit if You're Lazy AF

Genuinely involves spending time in bed.

By Catriona Harvey-Jenner
19 August, 2019
10 Ways To Get Fit if You're Lazy AF

It's the eternal question: How can I get fit fast? We present to you... the lazy girl's guide to getting fit.

Because exercise sounds great and all, but when it comes to actually having to do it, that's another story. Most of the time, if you're lazy, you can't be arsed. And there's always an excuse. It's either too cold to run outside, too hot to run outside, too windy to run outside, or you can't afford a gym membership.

That just about covers all seasons.

When you're just starting off your pursuit to being fit, your stamina doesn't tend to be tip top. It takes some getting there. So here's how to get yourself fitter, without it feeling like the most painful thing in the world.

1. Stick to 10s

Try to do just 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups every day, even if they aren't consecutive. Because something is better than nothing, and after a while, when you feel yourself finding the sets of 10 too easy, you can up it at your own pace.

2. Stand up at least every hour

We've all read the reports about how sitting all day is bad for you, being hunched over a keyboard and not even getting out for lunch because we're too busy. But enough is enough! Make a conscious effort to get up at least once an hour – go to the toilet, make a round of tea, or even just go and say hello to a colleague. Better still, buy an Apple Watch and it'll buzz at you every time it hits ten to the hour if it hasn't detected you standing up at all.

3. Walk for at least 20 minutes a day

Whether it's the bleak mid-winter or not, there are no excuses to get public transport literally everywhere you go. Use the legs you were given and get moving; even just 20 minutes a day will be an improvement for your health. It's easy to fit it into your daily schedule, and won't have you gasping for breath. Jump on the bandwagon started by charity Living Streets, which is encouraging people to #Try20 by walking for just 20 minutes per day for a month to see how much difference it makes to both health and happiness. This is the perfect excuse to get a dog, really.

walking

 

4. Don't even leave the house

 

Yup, you read that right; you don't even need to leave your house, or even the sofa, to get a solid workout in. There are many accessible exercises and home workouts you can do from your living room, that won't require you to make the commute to the gym. Do some tricep dips and some lunges, and work those abs – all from the comfort of your own home. Check out some more ideas here:

5. Use Tabata

If you only have five minutes, download the Tabata timer app for a super speedy work out. Guiding you for 20 seconds on and 10 seconds off makes for a great high-intensity workout that has both fitness and weight-loss benefits. Run for 20 seconds and then walk for 10, or skip for 20 and lay down for 10. You can do burpees, mountain climbers or even the plank (if you're brave enough), Tabata training will raise your metabolism and heart rate immediately and you should start seeing the benefits in no time.

6. Switch off

It's not all about exercise – our daily lives have a real impact on our health and wellbeing. Getting enough sleep is crucial to being fit, and the 4628482 devices you own which distract you on the daily aren't helping. So power down all the technology you've got coming out your ears at least an hour before going to sleep, and you should find you start to have a better rest.

7. Don't worry about how long your work out lasts

The quality of your workout doesn't depend on how long it is, which is quite frankly music to our ears. Any exercise is great and the most important thing when first starting out is to just get moving in the first place. Don't try and climb a mountain before you can even walk, if you know what we mean. It doesn't matter if you didn't do a full hour, or if you couldn't run for as long as you wanted (ahem, only managed to run round the block once). The fact is, you're doing something, and that's what that matters.

work out

8. Run for just one song

Instead of being too ambitious and then feeling awful when it doesn't all come together, tell yourself to run just the length of one song. Make it a good one and you won't even notice when the 3.5 minutes are over. So basically, download Ariana Grande's album and you'll find yourself volunteering for the marathon no problem.

9. Spend time in bed

Let's face it; some forms of exercise can be fun and sex is one of them. Research conducted by scientists from the University of Quebec in Canada found that sexual activity can be just as effective at burning energy as moderate intensity exercises. GREAT stuff. Women can burn up 90 calories during a sex session, which is just under half the amount you would burn in a 30-minute jog. We know which one we'd rather pick...

10. Work out during the adverts

Lazy people like to watch TV. So why not combine this with exercise, and time your mini-work outs to be just as long as the ads. Unless you're watching Netflix, of course, where there are no adverts. If you do a five minute circuit of lunges, burpees, jogging, skipping and squats during the ads, then you can reward yourself by lounging on the sofa and finding out if Britain really does have talent. Leave the Ben & Jerry's in the freezer, though, if you want to make any kind of difference.

Credit: Cosmopolitan
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