How To Gain Muscle Without Working Out

Gardening is a great way to gain muscles without working out.

Image Credit: Kathrin Ziegler/DigitalVision/GettyImages You don’t have to struggle to lift weights, attend bodybuilding sessions or risk injury by performing difficult body resistance exercises to build muscle.

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 According to the National Institutes of Health, all activity requires the use of muscles, and the more you move, the more you gain muscle strength. Build strenuous activities into your daily schedule that target different muscle groups and skip the gym.

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Gain Muscle Without Working Out

From morning to night you can engage in activities at home, at work and while you’re out and about that will help create muscle.

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1. Do Some Gardening

Build a garden that requires daily maintenance, and you’ll use most of your major muscle groups. Digging, weeding, bending, twisting and lifting all work the muscles and lead to muscle growth. Use long-handled shovels and axes to break up dirt and turn the garden bed. Read more: The 6 Rules of Gaining Muscle Mass

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2. Time for Cleaning

Clean your house thoroughly to maintain a pleasant living environment and work your muscles. Stand in one spot to push and pull on the vacuum. Climb ladders to reach high corners and dust ceiling fans. Mop the floor, pick up clutter and rearrange furniture to give your muscles an effective workout.

3. Get Outside and Play

Participate in outdoor games and outings with your children to get a workout. Play ball in the backyard, ride bikes and roller-skate. Take your children to activities that require physical activity, such as water parks and the zoo. Walk along the beach and bend over to pick up seashells. If you play with your children instead of just watching them, you may never need to work out.

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4. Walk and Walk Some More

Walk vigorously at every chance throughout the day. Walking is one of the easiest exerises you can do according to ACE Fitness. Make your daily walks through the neighborhood or on local trails worthwhile by including stairways and hills in your stroll. Walk vigorously from the far end of the parking lot when you go to work or out shopping. Push a shopping cart quickly through the store without leaning on it.

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 Read more: Will Walking Build Muscle Mass or Will It Just Tone?

5. Take in the View

Hop on your bike and take a ride around the neighborhood. You can ride by yourself or with some pals. Riding a bike will build the muscles of your legs according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, your glutes and even do wonderful things for the core —your abdomen and lower back. You don’t have to ride as if you’re participating in the Tour de France, but even a steady pace for at least 30 minutes will start the process of gaining muscle.

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6. Create Muscle With Creatine

Take supplements made of creatine before you go walking or performing heavy yard work. Creatine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the body and comes from sources such as fish and meat. According to Mayo Clinic, creatine has been proven to increase muscle mass in athletes when taken during high-intensity activities. Warning While creatine is not banned from most athletic competitions, it can cause serious side effects if taken incorrectly and in high doses. Creatine should not be taken by people with a history of kidney problems.

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  references
  
      National Institutes of Health: "Some Myths about Nutrition & Physical Activity"
    
      Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "Get on Your Bike"
    
      ACE Fitness: "Benefits of a Walk Around the Block"
    
      Mayo Clinic: "Creatine"
       




  references
  
      National Institutes of Health: "Some Myths about Nutrition & Physical Activity"
    
      Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "Get on Your Bike"
    
      ACE Fitness: "Benefits of a Walk Around the Block"
    
      Mayo Clinic: "Creatine"
    




Gardening is a great way to gain muscles without working out.

Image Credit: Kathrin Ziegler/DigitalVision/GettyImages

While creatine is not banned from most athletic competitions, it can cause serious side effects if taken incorrectly and in high doses. Creatine should not be taken by people with a history of kidney problems.

      National Institutes of Health: "Some Myths about Nutrition & Physical Activity"
    
      Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: "Get on Your Bike"
    
      ACE Fitness: "Benefits of a Walk Around the Block"
    
      Mayo Clinic: "Creatine"