To some people, the gym is a community. For other people, the grunting, the sweaty bodies, the unflattering mirrors and the lycra are a little off-putting – to say the least. The good news is there's loads of other ways to whip your body into shape without ever setting foot in a gym. 

Salsa

There's nothing more social than heading to a local bar for a salsa night. You'll learn a skill, make friends and burn off a ton of calories. If you don't like salsa, there are tea dances, line-dancing groups, jazz or even ballroom dancing all held in bars, parks and community halls. Try to lay off the copious amounts of wine that tends to accompany these evenings… but it's not compulsory.

Get a dog

You might want to think this through carefully first, but getting a dog is guaranteeing a healthier life. The bigger the dog you get, the longer the walks you'll need to take it on and the more active you'll need to be. Dogs make the best personal trainer you'll ever have because no matter how you feel, you have to show up and workout – no excuses. 

Get a bike

Save yourself cash, save the planet and get fit all at the same time. Investing in a bike for your commute to work or trips to the shops will quickly improve your cardio fitness and help shape up your legs, too. Nothing gives you more freedom than a new set of wheels.

Get competitive

For many people, there's nothing more motivating than being the absolute best at something. Most weekends you'll find runs held in local parks – whether it's a short 5k or a killer marathon. If you're a morning person, signing up for a few events a month will keep you motivated to train and introduce you to a new circle of like-minded friends. 

Join the circus

If conventional methods of getting fit are too ‘blah' for you, scour your local area for a venue to learn circus tricks. At a beginner level, you can learn how to tightrope walk, use stilts, ride a unicycle and even spin fire sticks. Don't worry; there will be plenty of time to learn how to tame the lions later…
Not only will you pick up some cool party tricks, but you'll find they take a lot of core strength and muscular endurance to master, too.

Not wanting to fork out for a membership or wipe other people's sweat off weights is a good reason to not want to hit the gym, but it's not a good reason to avoid exercise.