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Government guidelines recommend we do at least two and a half hours of moderate activity a week. But getting fit doesn’t always mean going to the gym or reinventing your diet.
There are plenty of fun, and even unconventional ways to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day; it’s just about finding something that suits you.
With this in mind, we’ve pulled together a list of 10 creative ways to get fit and have fun at the same time.
1. Try a barre class
Barre classes are inspired by ballet, but you don’t need any ballet experience to take part. They also use elements of yoga, Pilates, and strength training. These low-impact classes are designed to strengthen your muscles (throughout your whole body, but especially your core, glutes, and legs) and improve your posture.
Barre classes are so called because they usually feature a ballet barre or a chair (if you’re at home), which you can use as support during many of the moves performed throughout the class. These will be slow and controlled, and require you to hold your body still while contracting specific muscles until you start feeling the burn.
With plenty of online classes available, barre is easy to do from home. The Royal Academy of Dance has a series of beginner barre classes for over-55s on their YouTube channel. You can watch the first lesson below…
There are also plenty of barre classes available at local gyms, as well as community and leisure centres, so it’s worth getting in touch with yours to find out which might be available to you.
2. Hunt for treasure
If you’re keen to get outside and get moving, consider going geocaching. In a nutshell, geocaching is an outdoor activity where you hunt for treasure using GPS coordinates on your phone.
A typical geocache will contain a logbook for you to sign and date to prove that you found it, before returning it to its original location for others to find. Some geocaches include small trinkets, which you can trade for some of your own.
Millions of geocaches have been hidden worldwide, and there could be thousands in your local area just waiting to be found.
There’s something exciting about unearthing a mystery container that only geocachers will know about, and seeing how many other people have been there, too. Geocaching can also give your walks purpose and direction, and motivate you to increase your mileage.
To give geocaching a go, all you need to do is download the free Geocaching app and use it to navigate to caches nearby. Who knows what you could find…
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3. Take your dog to a meetup event
While it can be fun to walk your dog solo and spend one-on-one time together, dog walking can also be great for socialising. There are plenty of dog playgroups where dog owners meet at fixed times to take their dogs on long walks. The dogs play while you chat – and before you know it, you’ve walked miles without even realising it.
Dogs are pack animals who thrive on interaction with other dogs and people, so a meet-up in the woods can be just as stimulating for them as it is for you. Plus, with all that playing, they’ll probably get much more exercise than they would on a solo walk, and it can be lovely to see your dog having so much fun with new friends!
If you’re keen to find a canine meetup group near you, it’s worth having a look on meetup.com. There are also plenty of meetup groups on Facebook that you might be interested in joining – it’s just a case of finding one near you. If you’re looking to improve your fitness, make some new friends, and have your dog love you furever, why not get in touch with a couple of groups?
4. Dance at home like no one’s watching
One of the best things about dancing on your own is that you can let all your inhibitions go. There are very few of us who can resist turning the volume up and moving to our favourite songs, whether we’re good dancers or not!
Why not create your own feel-good playlist that you know will always get you on your feet? That way, whenever you feel that you need to get moving, you can play it and get lost in the music. You can burn around 340 calories during just 30 minutes of continuous dancing, and you might be surprised at how quickly time passes.
If freestyling isn’t your thing, you could also try doing an online dance class at home. YouTube is full of free lessons, and there’s a dance style and level to suit everyone. If you’re looking for something that will really raise your heart rate but doesn’t focus too much on technicalities, it’s worth trying Latin-inspired Zumba Gold or African dance.
Or, to learn the more technical aspects of different dance styles, you could try belly dancing, salsa, or ballet.
For further inspiration, have a read of our article: 11 online dance classes for beginners. And for more ways to get in the musical spirit, check out our tips on how to get involved with music from home.
5. Spice up your walk
If you’ve become bored with your regular walk, consider spicing it up by going for a mindful or photowalk, or even by planning a walk to somewhere completely new. You might be amazed at how even simple tricks like turning a regular back-and-forth route into a circular one can make it feel more satisfying.
Mindful walking
Mindful walks can help relieve stress and anxiety because they bring you back to the present moment by encouraging you to notice the sights, smells, and sounds around you.
So many of us walk around thinking about other things and paying little attention to what’s happening around us, but there’s plenty to take in if we look for it. For example, the dog playing happily with his stick in the park, or the smell of freshly baked bread as you walk near your local supermarket or bakery.
It can be surprising how much you notice when you really immerse yourself in your surroundings. If you’d like some guidance on mindful walking, try listening to a 10-minute walking meditation on the Mindful website, or downloading the walking meditation from the Headspace app – which offers a two-week free trial.
Photowalking
Taking your camera for a walk can also make your walks more enjoyable. Photowalks, like mindful walking, encourage you to take a closer look at your surroundings, and you might find that your creativity starts to flow when you’re exposed to changing scenery.
You can take photos of anything at all that inspires you, from two seagulls squabbling over a piece of bread to a dandelion swaying gently in the wind. Hopefully, you’ll return home with a sense of achievement and a few positive memories. If you’re interested, you might like to have a read of our beginner’s guide to photography or our article 8 fun photography projects.
Finding a new route
If you’re bored with your walking route, chances are, you probably won’t feel very motivated to head outside, which is why it’s a good idea to plan routes for walking adventures. It’s difficult to feel bored when you’re in new territory, and you might be more compelled to walk further when you’re in explorer mode.
AllTrails is a useful app for finding new walking and hiking routes with beautiful scenery across the UK. Simply download the app and enter your postcode or the name of your city, and you could be exploring with confidence in no time.
For more ideas on how to spice up your walks and make them more productive, why not have a read of our article 12 rewarding activities to do while walking? Or, if you’re looking to get more of a workout out of your walks, take a look at our introductory guides to Nordic walking and power walking.
6. Learn to hula hoop
We often associate hula hooping with our childhood days, but it’s a fantastic way to improve your strength and balance at any age. Studies show that, on average, hula hooping burns seven calories per minute (that’s 210 calories in a 30-minute session!), while strengthening and toning your abdominal, hip, thigh, glute, and leg muscles.
Hula Hooping has become increasingly popular, so much so that every year on the first Saturday of October, hoopers across the globe celebrate World Hoop Day.
Often the trickiest part of learning to hula hoop is, of course, learning how to get your hoop to stay up as you rotate it around your waist. While there is some technique involved here, hula hooping requires a fair bit of practice to start with.
You will also need to make sure you purchase the right-sized hula hoop, as this can also influence whether it stays up. This helpful YouTube video talks you through finding the right hoop for you.
To challenge yourself, you could consider buying a weighted (1–2kg) hula hoop. Surprisingly, weighted hoops are also easier to keep in the air! Once you’ve got a better idea of the hoop size you need, it’s worth looking at the selection of hoops available on Amazon.
After you’ve chosen your hoop, the next step is to get that hip action going. The video below will show you how you can get started.
7. Set yourself a 30-day fitness challenge
We often feel more motivated to exercise when we can see we’re making progress, which is why a daily fitness challenge can be a fun way to get moving.
Most fitness challenges are split over 30 days and are designed so you can work on increasing your strength and fitness a little each day. It can be helpful to keep a journal during this time to document any mental or physical changes to your health. You could also ask a friend to join in so that you can encourage and motivate one another.
Examples of 30-day fitness challenges include the plank challenge, which is brilliant for strengthening your core muscles. If you’re looking to give this a go, Weight Watchers offer a 30-day plank challenge. Or, if you’re looking for more walking-based fitness, check out this 30-day step challenge from MyFitnessPal.
Alternatively, you might like to use your steps to raise money for charity, like the Diabetes UK One Million Step challenge, where you’ll aim to walk one million steps over three months.
Fitness challenges are a great way to step outside of your comfort zone and feel a sense of accomplishment at the end. Many people also find them helpful tools for getting started with exercise because once the 30 days are over, the hope is that you’ll be happy enough with your progress that you’ll want to carry on.
8. Do some DIY, gardening, or deep cleaning
While deep cleaning or DIY might not be everyone’s idea of fun, it can be an incredibly satisfying way to burn lots of calories without thinking about it. Most of us do daily chores anyway, such as washing up or cooking, but it’s usually our deeper cleans or DIY jobs that tend to work us harder. This could include activities like painting, decluttering, cleaning the oven, or general spring cleaning.
Functional activities like these (that require a level of lifting, stretching, and repetitive movements like pushing and pulling) can help you work on your balance, strength, and flexibility, whilst lifting your mood and helping you maintain a healthy weight.
Interestingly, you can burn around 376 calories by pushing a lawnmower around for an hour! Or if you don’t have a garden, you can still burn about 176 calories per hour doing jobs like dusting and hanging up clothes, or 352 calories in two hours of window cleaning. There’s never been a better excuse to dig out your mop, duster, or garden spade! And it’s a bonus that you’ll have a squeaky clean house or a happier garden at the end of it.
You can find more cleaning and gardening inspiration in our home and garden section.
Worried your premium will rise if you make a claim?
At HMCA, claims don’t impact your premium, so you can claim with confidence. Whether you’re choosing private medical insurance for the first time or switching, their comprehensive plans and personal service give you peace of mind.
Join today and get £150 off your first-year subscription^
^Offer only applies to Medical Plans
9. Try a boxing-inspired workout
Boxing for fun and fitness is a great way to release any tension and frustrations that have been building up. If you’re looking for a workout that will make you feel empowered and in full control of your mind and body, this is it. With every jab, hook, or uppercut, your problems get smaller as you grow in strength and confidence.
The punches thrown during a boxing-inspired workout strengthen your arms and shoulders, while the boxing stance can help build your core, back, and legs. They’re also helpful for working on your balance and coordination.
If you’re looking to take up boxing more seriously, there are plenty of testimonials from people over 50 who have either started or are still boxing later in life. Have a read of this one from Marion Dunn or watch this one from Alan Roberts.
If you’re interested in boxing for fun and fitness, it’s worth browsing YouTube. Take a look at this one from Billy Blanks as an example.
Some gyms also run boxing-inspired fitness classes for older adults, so it’s worth checking in with yours to see what might be available to you.
10. Take to the water in a kayak
For those who would prefer to get out on the water, kayaking can be an attractive option. As you paddle across lakes or seas, you’ll not only get a full-body workout, but you’ll also soak up the natural peace and beauty of your surroundings. Some prefer to kayak alone to clear their heads, while others prefer to take lessons or join a kayaking community.
If you’re looking for guidance on kayaking, it’s best to get in touch with your local kayaking centre, which can offer you helpful pointers on getting started, or the chance to hire all the equipment you need. If you feel confident going it alone and plan to kayak on inland waterways like rivers, canals, or public lakes, make sure you apply for a licence. You can find out more about licensing on the Canal and River Trust website.
Whether you fancy a relaxing paddle through calm lake waters, or you’re a bit of a thrillseeker who’d prefer to navigate rougher waters with white-water kayaking, there’s plenty of variety. Once you’ve got all your equipment and a clearer idea of what sort of kayaking adventure might be right for you, it’s worth checking out some of these best UK kayaking routes from ActivityFan Blog. Just be sure to follow all the sensible safety recommendations if you’re a beginner.
Final thoughts…
One of the main reasons that we might avoid exercise is because it feels like too much of a chore. But exercise can be fun, and it’s easy to get your heart rate up or your muscles working without watching the clock or even realising you’re exercising.
We hope the ideas above will help you to start thinking creatively about the different ways you could incorporate more activity into your day. Once you find something you enjoy and can have fun with, it’s much more likely that you’ll stick at it and become happier and healthier as a result.
If you’re considering other ways to get more active, you might like our fitness and exercise section. Here, you’ll find everything from 11 different types of walks to enjoy to an introduction to pickleball.
Have you tried any of these ways to get fit and have fun? Or do you have any additional ideas that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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