This amazing article was written by Naomi Paulson, a yoga teacher, health coach, and former personal trainer. Enjoy!

As a personal trainer, I spent the majority of my waking hours in the gym. I loved it. The energy, the accessibility of some killer equipment, the camaraderie between trainers and the relationships with my clients. Not to mention I stayed in great shape.

Since transitioning from trainer to corporate cog to health coach, I have a little confession. I don't particularly like the gym anymore. Actually, most of the time, I hate it.

There. I said it.

It took a while for this to dawn on me: it's because I generally trained in small, neighborhood facilities rather than big chains, where my current membership is. The canned air, the monotony of the cardio equipment, the members who meander aimlessly from machine to machine isn't a motivating environment for me.

The thing is, not working out isn't an option in my mind. There's the typical health benefits most of us have at least heard of (heart health, weight management, bone density, etc) but in addition to that, it keeps me mentally centered.

When I don't work out, what I call the BB effect kicks in...I fidget like a 5 year old waiting for his birthday party guests to show up! I have a hard time focusing and i start to get a little crabby around the edges.

So what's a girl (or guy) to do? Quit? Stay on the couch? Grit your teeth and bear it? No way!!

An amazing workout can be had with very little "equipment". (Just ask any of my former outdoor bootcampers, whose butts I kicked 5 days a week, sans fancy equipment!)

To incorporate all aspects of a solid fitness routine I do my best to incorporate the 3 crucial components: cardio, resistance training, stretching.  These are some of my favorite go-to ideas when I feel like skipping the gym but not my workout.

HIIT it!

High Intensity Interval Training. It's a butt kicker...and I love it! HIIT workouts can be cardio, or a mix of cardio and resistance. The premise is you want to get your heart rate up, then allow it to come down during a rest cycle. (Rinse, repeat.) You can get creative when setting up a routine by incorporating exercises like squats, burpees, pushups, wall sits, lunges, jumping jacks, etc.

This will keep it interesting, which for most of us, keeps us engaged long term.  Pick up a set of light dumbbells, a kettle bell or resistance bands and the options are practically limitless!

Some terrific resources on HIIT:

Peak 8 - http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2010/11/13/phil-campbel...

Tabata - http://tabataexercise.com/about-tabata-training/

Interval Training - http://www.intervaltraining.net/hiit.html

Streeeeeeeeetch it out

This is by far the most overlooked and underutilized component of a healthy workout. Unless a practicing yogi or yogini, I found most of my clients would tend to blow off stretching, and I've been guilty of it myself on occasion. If you fall into that category, my question to you is this:

If you're going to take the time to get in a good workout, why, why, WHY would you not take care of your body by stretching it out?

Stretching will help keep muscles limber, which in turn keeps them from interfering with proper alignment for one thing. (You know, those aches and pains of things like sciatica or low back issues? Often due to alignment issues. Proper stretching can help alleviate some of these symptoms.)

Does it mean you won't be sore the next day? Nah, can't promise you that. But as I like to tell my sister, "but it's a GOOD sore, right?!" Read more on stretching. http://www.livestrong.com/pre-and-post-workout-stretching/

And, since I did bring it up, why not get a yoga mat and give that a try? You don't need a gym membership for that either, as there are some wonderful online resources, like Yoga Today (http://yogatoday.com/) which offers a free online class every week.

If you've never taken a yoga class in person, though, I do recommend you start with a beginners series at a local yoga studio if possible. It will help you learn the mechanics to keep you from any accidental injuries.

Up the Fun Factor

This is where you get to tap into your inner child. Getting out and moving was never a "have to" when we were kids.  Tap into that sense of play, that sense of fun and exploration. Pull out jump ropes and grab your hula hoops, and get outside! Leap frog, crab races...heck, get the neighborhood involved for a rousing game of tag!

Some days we just need to throw in the required gym hand towel and go out and play. Run around, roll down a hill, hula hoop (hey, they do full classes with those!), draw a hopscotch on your sidewalk,  construct a tether ball pole in your backyard.

If you find yourself dragging your feet when it's time to hit the gym but that nagging voice won't let up, quit fighting it. Skip the gym. But set yourself up to still reach your goals, to stay the course with what you committed to yourself around fitness and exercise. Get out. Make it fun! Make it work for you...And MOVE!

What is your favorite "it doesn't have to look like a gym" routine?

Naomi Paulson refers to herself as a “recovering personal trainer.” A health coach and yoga instructor, she is the founder of Sunflower & Sage, a company dedicated to improving the health and wellness of today to positively impact the health of the next 7 generations.

In her energetic, from-the-heart manner, Naomi helps to untangle the mess, guiding clients in discovering ways to live—and eat—with more vitality.  You can learn more about her journey at www.sunflowersage.com.