The Best 6 Types of Physical Activity to Try

You don’t need a gym membership to gain the benefits of exercise. There are many types of physical activity you can do from the comfort of your home! There’s no need for special gear or equipment, these workouts are easy and effective. 

Physical activity is super important for overall health, affecting us physically and mentally. Doing exercise daily. Check out these 6 types of physical activity today!

Benefits of Physical Activity

Doing physical activity is a great habit to cultivate wellbeing. It has amazing health benefits, many of which have nothing to do with working out. Working out can improve heart health by improving oxygen flow throughout the body and lowering blood pressure. It may even reduce cholesterol. 

Exercise also helps out brain health. Working out improves nutrient flow to the brain, enhancing concentration, learning ability, and cognitive skills. Mental health is also improved after a workout as exercise floods the mind with dopamine, a happiness chemical. Joint and bone health improves with physical activity, which in turn improves mobility, balance, and flexibility.

Besides that, working out does inmove muscle strength, muscle definition, and weight management.

6 Types of Physical Activity You Can Do at Home

Without further ado, here are 6 types of physical activity you can do at home! No need for a gym or equipment.

Zumba

Zumba is a type of interval workout that varies between high-intensity and low-intensity movement. There are many benefits to this such as cardiovascular benefits, weight management, and muscle toning. It is a total body workout that mostly works out the core and legs. Some examples of Zumba movements like stepping up and down, plus dance moves from salsa to reggaeton, and bachata.

High-Intensity Interval Training

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is another type of high-intensity interval training that also varies between high-intensity and low-intensity movement. HIIT increases your strength, stamina, and cardiovascular health greatly. One of the most unique benefits of this HIIT workout is increasing VO2 max. This is a measurement of the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during exercise. In other words, by improving your VO2 max, you improve your stamina and energy.

Walking

Walking is worth it! Just a 30-minute walk a day can increase bone strength, reduce visceral fat, and boost endurance. It can also easily reduce your risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. Boost your workout by walking outdoors. Being out in nature has many benefits such as better mental health, reduced stress, and improved mental clarity.

Running

Running is like walking on hard mode. While running and walking offer similar benefits, running can be more efficient. You would need to walk longer to get the same benefits. However, running does have a high risk of injury, sp stretch beforehand, start in a light jog, stay hydrated, and slowly increase pace and distance.

Resistance Training

Resistance training is a type of physical activity that increases muscle, improves heart health, and boosts stamina. This activity involves pushing or pulling against something, which can be your body weight. This is where bodyweight exercise can help do resistance training without a gym. Calisthenics can increase endurance, flexibility, and coordination. It includes lunges, pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups. This type of resistance training improves what the body can do, mobility, and flexibility.

Yoga

Yoga is almost like a form of meditation and physical exercise for the mind and body. This type of physical activity combines deep breathing and movement for a type of physical activity that has many benefits like increasing flexibility, improving strength, and increasing cardiovascular health. Check out how yoga changes the brain here, learn 10 amazing yoga moves to start your day, and learn to check out this complete guide!

The Takeaway

 Physical activity is important to improve overall wellbeing. There is no need for a gym or any special gear, you can do many types of physical activity from home! Some of the options include cardio like walking or running and others rely more on body weight to add resistance. There are even some fun ones like Zumba, which almost feels like dancing. Some forms of physical activity, like an outdoor stroll or yoga, can provide many mental benefits.

Remember that health comes from within, so eat nutrient-dense food, exercise daily, and care for your mental health. Cultivate habits to develop the necessary building blocks for emotional, mental, and physical health. Take care of your gut health too for even more health benefits! Learn everything you need to know about gut microbiota today for free here.