Can you get really fit without running?

As others have said there are different types of fitness. What are you looking for?

I'm a hockey player, train once a week, play once a week. Despite not being as young as I once was or as child-free I think I still qualify as mad fit; the kind of fitness when you can sprint your heart out for however long then recover in no time at all to do it all over again - and again - and again. Not sure how quick I'd run round the block at a fairly static pace though, but that's not much use in my game.

Obviously some people have a natural level of fitness they've maintained all their lives, but I think it's perfectly possible to be pretty damn fit doing something you enjoy a couple of times a week. Badminton, football, hockey, squash. You do have to give it your all though, no mincing about just because no-one's looking or taking it easy 'cos it's "just for fun", you get out what you put in so you've got to push yourself.

I was my fittest when I used to skip. I did it for years and loved it. I have ran too but it is not as good as skipping. Skipping builds more muscle and strength in your core and upper body than running and is less hard on joints. I am going back to it very soon after a few years off due to young children.
You might want to look into kettlebell swings too

Ask any tour de France rider if they think they are fit after cycling 3000km each summer

I have a chronic ankle issue so cannot run, do front crawl foot movement or anything that involves impact on my ankle. I've lost weight and gained a lot of fitness through a combination of HIIT on the cross trainer, swimming (breast stroke only) and weights.

I go to the gym 4 times a week - one day doing LISS cardio for 30-45 mins and 3 weight sessions - 5-10 min cardio warmup plus a 40-50 min weights programme.

A good sports bra is essential. Londonmummy, definitely try the Panache. It saw me round a half marathon at 2 months postpartum with HH cup breastfeeding boobs, so if it can do that it can do anything!

Lots and lots of walking.

And Mutu! (Google it!)

Karate kept me fit before DC stopped me going. And you get a huge sense of achievement as you go up the grades.

Plus it helps with self defense so you feel a lot more confident in yourself and your body.

I've just started again after a 6 year gap and it's bloody fantastic, I love it!

Good sports bras really do the job these days - my 34F boobs do stay in place when I run - although I do wear 2, an unwired shock absorber underneath a wired freya. I'm going to try out a Panache though as they get really good reviews. Without industrial strength strapping in place I know I'd hate running too....

I enjoy going to bootcamp classes. They have got me fitter than anything before in my life and Ive been running for 4 years.

The differences Ive found is that running lost me weight(it falls off me), but bootcamp has lost me a further dress size.

I started off 2016 a size 16. I got back into running more (I got onto the great north run so needed to train) and lost a stone and also down to a 14. Then I found a bootcamp class that I really enjoyed. I stayed the same weight, but am now a 12 and have lots of compliments regarding how much better I look now etc.

So yes you can get really fit by not running, but it is all in finding something you do enjoy.

I go to the gym minimum of 4 x a week, aim for 5 x a week.

When I'm doing cardio I try and do HIT, so 30 secs as fast as I can and then a minute at a faster pace.

I'm still overweight but I am losing weight and im definetly getting fitter.

If you've been running without a sports bra I'm not surprised you hate it! It's the most important piece of kit along with trainers. There's no way I could run without one.
Also if you have an ipod or such like get a play list set up and head out with your favourite tunes...makes all the difference and means I can't hear myself huffing and puffing along.

I enjoy cardio, but I almost never go running. Ultimately it isn't even close to the most effective way to lose weight or build muscle.

Most of my exercise consists of weight lifting and Beachbody workouts. Depending on the program you can do everything at home with little to no equipment, and they push you but if you stick with it you see results. I'm a huge fan of the P90 series, but I recently started using their on demand service so I can switch it up from day to day: www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/on-demand-workout-videos.do

I don't run. None of the personal trainers at the gym I go to run, they barely do cardio. It's all about the weights.

I do 20-30 mins of cardio on a cross trainer and then a weights programme.

I love swimming, but find it difficult to access pool time. I favour lane sessions so I can go up and down the pool with minimum obstruction.
I go to a circuits class which covers a mix of cardio and strength. I started it because of its time slot. It took a while to love, but it gets results.
From a fitness perspective, the difficulty with many aerobic classes is that they tend to run at one pace and fitness gains stagnate, hence yo-yoing.
It is running that's won for me because it's immediate from home so time efficient, as cheap as you want it to be and has measurable goals. They can be applied to cycling.

Londonmummy .... I'm several hundred miles from you, but maybe we're clones, with one clone in the north and one in the South?!

Runningupthathill are you me by any chance - running nut, broken foot and the embarrassment of 34H boobs.................

Well, I have done Crossfit for a couple of years and have not been injured. I do agree that you do need good coaching to lift weights properly though.

Cycling is great. I'd combine it with something like yoga ideally, or failing that swimming, for balance as cycling is in a fixed position and can lead to weaknesses such as shortened hamstrings.

Obsessive runner here. When I can't run (ie late in pregnancy, or when I was recovering from a broken foot), spinning is the only other thing I've found that keeps me as fit.

Circuits classes/ HIIT are good too, but I like to do them as well as running.

Think you should give running a go though, there's nothing like it for physical and mental fitness. When I had HUGE boobs (34HH, breastfeeding) the Panache sports bra and the Freya Active crop top sports bra both kept them well and truly under control.

Yes - how about cycling? You can work really hard at it, you get out in the fresh air, and it can be as social or solitary as you like.

My bil and sil do Crossfit - and get injured a lot. I looked into it, and its extremely unregulated and you'll see people lifting and doing stuff with terrible form which explains the injuries. Its also very pricey

Running nut here so take with a pinch of salt BUT... when I had a stress fracture in my foot and couldn't run I swam a km a day in 30 minutes and people asked if I'd lost weight. If you want to lose size as opposed to get really fit swimming is good as it is very toning. I found a combination of breast stroke and crawl (so like intervals) worked best for me. However rowing is the best exercise of all - better than running as you use more muscle groups. But you do have to work at it. HIIT on a rower is very good indeed.

BTW I am overweight and have big boobs but love running. You may find that a really good sports bra makes all the difference. I wear a normal bra underneath a high impact bra by Freya and I really do not bounce around at all. If this is what makes you a slef conscious runner then this plus running after dark may help.

Sorry thisonehasalittlecar I missed your earlier message. Crossfit is a mix of weightlifting (think squat, deadlift, press, and more), gymnastics (pull ups, handstands etc) and cardio (rowing, running, air bike ..) all thrown together. The shouting doesn't sound so good though! It might be worth a call to the gym nonetheless to find out what the options are. Crossfit is really effective and I have found it to be supportive for everyone at all levels.

Not on this routine he didn't... but okay he tried something new and if I were him I'd invent rubbish every time someone asked me what my training routine was, anyway.

I bet Ellie Simmonds probably doesn't run much :).

Whatever exercise you do, it needs to be something you enjoy or you won't keep it up.