Real-life exercise

Running on a treadmill going nowhere or pushing weights through mindless repetitions can get so boring. Try functional fitness. You can build strength, agility and stabilizing skills in a way that carries over into everyday life. You lift weights so you can tote a very heavy bag, or sprint so you can catch a bus.
Lift weights while standing up, this forces your core muscles to work. A strong core helps you lift heavy loads without hurting your back.
Set up a course with cones. Run to the first cone as fast as you can. Side- shuffle to the second. Walk-backwards to the third. Dash to the fourth. This will make you better able to dash after a zig-zagging toddler.
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a weight out in front of you and twist side to side, for better reaching and bending.
Healthy happy trails
Next weekend, leave the gym and take a hike. There are only a certain number of dumbbells, but when hiking, you have an infinite variety of workouts and levels, and better scenery than in your gym. Walking on a flat trail for an hour, a 65-kilo person can burn as much as 300 calories. Pick a more challenging spot with hills, and you burn 445 calories. Hiking also builds flexibility and strength. Going uphill firms the calves and backside muscles, while downhill jaunts tone the quadriceps.