Would you like to build up your fitness and do you want to do this without running? Fortunately, there are a lot of other ways to improve your fitness. In this article we will discuss different ways and we will mention the pros and cons of this choice.
Improve fitness without running
We’ve picked six different ways to improve your fitness without running. These six ways are:
- Swimming
- Bicycles
- HIIT
- punching bag training
- To walk
- Cardio devices
With the cardio machines we will also make a subdivision between the different devices that you can choose and what the advantages and disadvantages are of these devices.
1. Swimming
Swimming is a popular way to get in shape without running. You must of course love water. An advantage of swimming is that it does not have much impact on your body. If you have an injury or are a bit older, swimming can be a good way to build up your condition.
The disadvantage is that there must be a swimming pool near your house and that swimming costs money.
2 bicycles
Cycling is also a very popular way to build fitness, the Netherlands is of course a cycling country. You can choose to cycle outside, do a spinning session or buy an exercise bike and enjoy cycling at home.
An advantage of cycling is that you can easily incorporate it into your routine. For example, you can choose to cycle to work and back. Cycling is also not that taxing on the body and can therefore be performed by almost anyone. The disadvantage of cycling is that it is relatively dangerous when you do this outside at high speeds.
3. HIIT
HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. HIIT is becoming more and more popular and is often taught as a group class at the gyms. It is a training technique in which you commit one hundred percent for a certain amount of time and then rest for a certain amount of time. This allows you to burn a lot of calories in a short time and your heart rate remains constantly high.
There are a lot of variations of HIIT. You can perform the HIIT with a circuit of strength exercises, but you could also do it on a cardio machine in the gym, for example.
The advantage of HIIT cardio is that they are relatively short sessions that take little time. The disadvantage is that it is quite taxing on your body.
4. Punching bag training
Do you want to improve your fitness without running and at the same time get rid of your frustrations? Then a punching bag training is a nice form of fitness training for you.
A big advantage of this form of training is that it is not monotonous and is experienced as fun by many people. The disadvantage is that it can be very taxing on your joints and that you are dependent on a gym that has the right materials and classes for this.
5. Hiking
If you don’t want to run, you can also go for a walk. This is not the most intensive form of fitness training, but especially as a beginner this is a good way to start. You could also make this more intensive by walking in the dunes or in another mountainous area.
The advantage of walking is that it is not taxing on your body and that you can do it at any level. The disadvantage is that it is not intensive enough to quickly build up fitness and that you do not burn many calories with walking.
6. Cardio devices
In the gym you will also find various equipment with which you can build up your fitness. Below are the most popular for you with their pros and cons.
elliptical cross trainer
The elliptical cross trainer is a device that gives you strength with your entire upper and lower body. This device can be found in every gym and is very effective for building up your fitness. The crosstrainer is also very popular with people who want to lose weight, because the crosstrainer burns a lot of calories. This device is also not very taxing on the body, because the load is well distributed.
air bikes
An air bike (also called assault bike) is a kind of exercise bike (stationary bike) and an elliptical trainer in one. This device is powered by air, you can determine the resistance of this air yourself. The airbike also burns a lot of calories, because your whole body is working. This device is less common in gyms.
recumbent bike
The recumbent bike can also be found in almost every gym. This device is perfect when you have an injury because you can cycle with your upper body at complete rest. the disadvantage of this exercise is that the exercise is not that intensive.
treadmill
Now you may be thinking, “I thought the article was about fitness without running, what does the treadmill do in this list?” Most treadmills have a function that allows you to tilt the treadmill up, this way you can climb an incline, as it were. This is a lot more intensive than normal walking and also burns a lot more calories. This form of fitness training is also not taxing on the body and your calves immediately get a workout.
rowing machine
The rowing machine is also very popular and is also very effective for building up your fitness. Your whole body participates in this exercise and you can make it as intensive as you want. However, this exercise can be a bit more taxing on your lower back, so if you suffer from lower back complaints, this may not be the right device for you. This device can also be found in almost every gym.