Wednesday 29 February 2012

Exercise is good, FREE exercise is better! Post 2 of 2!

Yesterday I posted about hiking, cycling and dancing as free ways to exercise. Here are another three I enjoy!

Swimming
I would only recommend this to a confident swimmer, but have you ever considered skipping the pool and heading for the nearest beach/lake/river? Never disregard safety signs and only swim at a lifeguarded beach. For rivers, check that it is safe to swim before you jump in. (NEVER SWIM IN THE THAMES – Bleurgh!)

Swimming burns around 400-600 calories an hour.

Three important things to consider:
  1. Is the water safe? Water is a lot cleaner than it used to be in the UK, but make sure you check out your local river quality using the Environment Agency's map. Grade A is perfect, grades B and C pose a low risk to health if swum in, grades D, E and F should not be swum in. If the water looks scummy or full of algae, do not swim. Some rivers have strong currents, so follow any signs preventing swimming. For beaches, check the information provided to see whether it is safe to swim.
  2. Don't swim on a beach when the tide is going out, or if you do not understand how to escape a rip current.
  3. The water will be COLD at this time of year. Wait until summer for nicer conditions!
If you do swim at a beach, remember that the water is salt water and that you should wash your swimming gear as soon as you get home to prevent it rotting.

Gardening
Think gardening is relaxing? Think again! An hour's worth of digging over your vegetable patch can burn 350+ calories an hour, and even raking or mowing the lawn can burn over 300 calories in an hour. Spend a warm spring day sprucing up your garden!


Bodyboarding
Another favourite of mine in the summer is bodyboarding. I LOVE IT! I'd go every day if I got the chance. You can do it without a wetsuit, but a cheap one will keep you warm – mine was £20 from Tesco and you could get one a lot cheaper than that! The board itself will cost £5-10, but you can use it forever! :) Very cheap boards are made of fabric-covered polystyrene. These might work for little kids but they are pants for adults. Get yourself a foam board!

Swim out to where the waves are breaking, then jump onto the board on your belly just in front of a wave about to break and paddle like mad! If you catch the wave, you'll shoot forward riding the white water. It's fantastic, and you can do it for hours without getting bored.

Safety tips: Only bodyboard when the tide is coming in, and bodyboard at a lifeguarded beach between the yellow-and-red flags. (Black-and-white flags are for proper surfers with boards that could easily knock you out if you get hit in the head - not a good idea in the sea!) 

You'll think you're not really exercising, but you can burn 200-300 calories an hour without even trying!

Got any tips? 
What's your favourite free or nearly free exercise? :) I hate jogging, but I'm open to anything else!

4 comments:

Pamela said...

Yes, I so feel you on the gardening! Working in my plot last year gave me quite a workout. And I love to swim.

Meanqueen said...

You wont get me in the water, I cant swim. However I did do some digging today. You aren't going to dig up that whole field are you?

Frugal Down Under said...

Too many of our salt and fresh bodies of water have salt water crocs that like to eat humans :-(

Our sea also has 2 kinds of fatal jelly fish :-(

Some of our swimming holes currently have too much bacteria to be safe to our health. And a few others have dried up due to too much water use by the local community. Boo Hoo.

The public pool is the best solution at present.

I gardened last weekend and nearly turned into a sweat puddle. it felt good.

I now ride to work and back everyday and also to a Tai Chi lesson once a week in my lunch break run by a work mate in the buildings car park for all of us for free :-)

Astra said...

I really loved your free exercise posts, as you know im a fellow hiker, i also like jogging... but on a more fun note hoola hooping! i have an adult size one and it has instant feel good properties, takes you back to being a kid! you can feel it really tone your waist, just a few mins a day and you feel it. also fire poi is great exercise, all over toning, especially in the arms, I made heavy practice ones for free and you could learn a random funky skill lol