Whether you just made the big move to city after years of residing in the country or even if you’ve lived amongst a skyline of buildings your whole life, we can agree that it’s hard to stay active. A city filled with chaotic roadways, pollution and endless skyscrapers clearly doesn’t provide the most convenient platform to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle. But, don’t feel defeated just yet by the obstacles faced in the city because all it takes is a little creativity to keep active.
1. Stairs shred calories
Constantly moving your body is key. Although escalators offer you a breezy way to the sky train station and elevators let you zip between your favourite shops in the shopping mall, there are also stairs. Often at times the stairs are even quicker than the automated transport and you get the bonus of avoiding the crowd. For every eight steps upwards you take, expect to burn one calorie. It may sound like a small amount but turn taking the stairs into a daily routine over the course of a year equals a lot of extra calories burned!
2. Find like-minded friends
Believe it or not, there are other people struggling and striving to maintain an active lifestyle in the city just like you. This doesn’t mean you need to spend the next few months scouring every fitness centre to find gym buddies, the Internet provides easy access to endless groups of seemingly fitness gurus and of all different levels.
Websites such as Meetup and Facebook offer communities of people with similar fitness interests. Simply search these platforms with keywords such as “Bangkok yoga,” “Manila CrossFit,” “Singapore runners,” “Hanoi dance” and so forth. Studies have shown that having a workout partner acts as a support system and keeps you more motivated and committed to achieving your fitness goals, and eliminates your dropout rate by 50 percent.
3. Map out the city parks
A hectic city life can leave a person feeling overwhelmed and most cities understand the importance of a peaceful place for its residents. Constructed for the mere purpose of human enjoyment, public city parks can feel like a mini-holiday escape after a long day at the office.
City parks often feature outdoor gyms, ponds, running tracks, walking paths and tables to play board games – exercising your mind is important too! In such a Zen-like setting, it’s easy to find a good jogging pace and hard to resist playing running games in the grass with kids or taking your dog for a long walk.
4. Join a gym near your office or home
Location, location, location… this philosophy seems to apply to every aspect in our life; this includes the proximity of our gym membership to our home. Maybe you’ve seen advertisements for the newest, coolest gym opening up that guarantees top physical results but it on the other side of the city while your other option is an ‘average’ fitness centre just a short walk down the road. Which one do you choose? I know the new gym promised rock-solid abs in just three months, but you won’t achieve this goal if you skip the gym – and statistically that’s what you will do. So, you are more likely to maintain a solid fitness routine if your club is conveniently located near your home or office leading to better fitness results.
5. Office exercise
If you live in a large city, it’s likely you work in an office. Working in an office typically involves lots of sitting, which is proven to be one of the worst positions for our bodies and leads to long term negative side effects. Exercising at work doesn’t imply bringing your dumbbells to the office with you, but rather staying mindful of your movements and adding in ‘secret’ moments of exercise.
Take time to walk down the hallway to physically ask your co-worker a question instead of sending a Skype message – standing to leave your chair is a good thing! And, instead of using your entire lunch hour to sit down and eat an unhealthy burger change your routine to eating a salad at your desk and using the extra time to power walk, whether down the stairs of your office building, down the pavement or in a nearby mall.
While sitting at your desk, try yoga movements to stretch out your back and maintain a straight posture with your shoulders back and your core tight. Even better yet, instead of sitting at your desk, invest in a standing desk or simply place your monitor at eye level and stand!
