25 Fitness Swaps that could change your life. tumblrgym:Fitness1. Planks for crunches. Okay okay, have we said this enough? Crunches may not be the secretto six-pack abs. Give planks a try instead to work that whole core. Extra points for holding it for a minute straight!2. Interval workout for relaxed run. Congrats on that 20-mile marathon. Now try a 20-minute interval run that involves lots of sprinting with some walking recovery. It may kick up the heat even more.3. Incline for flat treadmill. In a perfect, outdoor world, flat roads rarely exist. (Sorry, Midwestern readers!) Add some hills to that treadmill run by cranking up the incline, and feel the muscle-building burn!4. Zumba for elliptical. Trash that Cosmo-reading elliptical routine and surprise the body with a fun, calorie-burning cardio session. Sure beats staying stuck to a machine. 5. Dynamic for static stretching. Stretching out cold muscles could lead to injury. So incorporate some active movement into a stretching routine— try lunges and arm swings before working out.6. Warming up for rushing right to it. We know that barbell looks tempting. But before hitting the weight rack, do an active warm-up to loosen up limbs and get the most out of the workout.7. Standing for sitting at a desk. How often does someone complain about having to sit in a cubicle all day? We have a simple solution (no college degree required)… stand. Use a pile of books to prop up the computer, or purchase one of these.8. Exercise ball for office chair. Okay, we get it. Some people really don’t want to stand at their cubicle. So stay seated, but on a Swiss ball! It can help with balance and that six-pack. Fitness at the fingertips!9. Gym for napping. Falling asleep at the wheel? Pull over. Tired in front of the TV? Hit the gym. It provides a big boost of energy and burns calories.10. Free weights for machines. Skip the big machines (they’re sweaty anyway) and go for the little guys— free weights are more versatile and allow for a full range of motion in the joints.11. Pull-ups for bicep curls. Isolating muscles is so 2011. Pull-ups are not only impressive (I can do two, thankyouverymuch) but they work way more than one muscle. Talk about multi-tasking.12. Squats for leg press. Forget staying seated to work out the legs. Amp up the training sesh and do some squats to strengthen all the leg muscles, with some gluteus maximus work in there, too!13. Personal trainer for guessing games. Just when we think we’ve had enough, trainers may help push us through that second set of burpees. Look for a deal online to cut the cost in half!14. Foam rolling for static stretching. Need to get the knots out? Try using a foam roller instead of sitting and stretching to the toes. It’s almost like a personal massage.15. Exergames for Mario Kart. Mario may be booking it through the race course, but holding the remote control does next to nothing for our own heart rate. Try out Wii Fit or Just Dance— they’re designed to provide light to moderate exercise.16. Rowing for biking. How often can we row, row, row a boat indoors? Take advantage of the rowing machine instead of the good ’ol bike; it’s a super upper and lower body exercise.17. Stairs for escalator. We’ve heard the tip a million times, so here it is for the millionth plus one. If the option’s available, go the old-fashion route and climb the stairs to burn some extra calories.18. Fun workout for dreaded one. Loathe the elliptical? Try the stair-master. Hate the bench press? Do push-ups instead. We can still challenge ourselves without doing exercises we hate.19. Active date for dinner and a movie. Save a night at that French restaurant for retirement and go on a fun, active winter date with a special someone. Sledding can be just as intimate as duck confit, and it sneaks in a hill-climbing workout, too.20. Parking farther away for getting a spot up close. There’s no need to circle the parking lot five times looking for the perfect spot. Just park further away and walk the extra read more..
