Do these 4 things add some fun to your fitness
One thing keeps me lifting weights and training clients is because
‘Exercise is a reward and never a punishment.‘
Don’t you think people who have lost the use of their legs, arms or both would love to go for a walk? Even when I’m not extremely motivated to move, I remind myself of these facts.
But not everyone feels the same way. Go to any gym and witness all those unhappy sweaty people on their torture cardio machines trying to burn off last night’s indulgence.
Or watch those people who look clearly uncomfortable while jogging on the side of the road. That’s no fun, and this ultimately leads to a road of heartache and failure. Want proof? More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese.
Rather than continuing down this path of punishment, put a little fun back into your fitness. According to Michelle Segar, author of No Sweat, enjoyment is the best motivator for exercise.
“Logic doesn’t motivate us; emotions do,” says Segar.
People who exercise for enjoyment stick with it more than those who do it for medical reasons. When you enjoy something, you’re more likely to do it again and exercise is one of those things.
Believe it or not.
If exercise has become a chore or you need some extra oomph to stay on the fitness path, use the following strategies to put the enjoyment back into your fitness.
Note- I’m not saying all exercise has to be fun. Clearly you’ll have to do some things you don’t like. But nudging the needle closer to fun and further away from punishment is better.
1. Play Your Favorite Sport Again
Think back to when you were a child. What sports did you play? Was it baseball, football, soccer, track and field, basketball or hockey? Hopefully, it wasn’t long ago. J
Now is the time to dust off those smooth moves. Take your fitness and moves to a recreation league or your local YMCA. Or you and the kids or friends could play it in the backyard. then you can base your exercise routine around a sport and exercise with a purpose.
When there is a purpose behind your exercise, exercise becomes easier.
Note- I know this is difficult during COVID but I hope you get the point.
2. A Change Of Scenery
Going to the same gym, using the same equipment, doing the same exercises and seeing the same people slaving away gets stale in a hurry.
Instead, go train at a friend’s gym or take your training outside with resistance bands or your own bodyweight. Run sprints at your local park or try a group exercise class that you’ve never done before. In this time of COVD-19 we have all had to become more creative.
These are only a few suggestions. Please go and get more creative than me.
3. Play
Play is an activity done for its own sake, with no real goal in mind and play is characterized by flexibility (making up stuff as you go along), and the positive effect it often has on the person playing (smiling, laughing, and having fun.)
This seems like a foreign concept as you grow older and have the added responsibility of being an adult. Instead, I want you to think back to when you were a child, when you moved and played in ways that made you happy.
Do you think children needs to go to the gym and bore themselves to death on a treadmill? I think not.
Instead, jump rope, play catch with a friend (or with your child), insert yourself in one of your kids’ games or take your dogs for a walk and throw them a ball. Before you know it, you’ll be sweating, smiling, and having fun without realizing its exercise.
Who would have thought?
4. Friendly Competition
Exercising with a partner is shown to increase exercise adherence. Use these fun drills with a friend and you’ll be sweating and smiling in no time.
Stability Ball Wrestle
Set up – Standing in front of the stability ball put your right foot on top of the ball making sure your right knee is bent 90 degrees. Your partner who is directly across from you on the other side puts their left foot on the same ball, right beside your foot. Your other foot is flat on the ground, This is your stabilizing leg.
Rules– You are both trying to knock your opponent’s foot off the stability ball by rolling the ball aggressively with the foot on the ball. There is no kicking, just pushing the ball any way possible to knock your opponent’s foot off the ball. Person whose foot stays on the ball wins the point.
This can be done as a timed warmup, for 30 seconds on each foot. Or turn this into a friendly competition. Every time some loses his balance it results in a point for the opponent. First to 5 or 10 points wins. J
The Boxer
This exercise with work on your power, muscular endurance, and hand-to-eye coordination. You’ll be too busy hitting your partner’s hands to realize any of this.
Set up– Use a resistance band with handles looped around a solid anchor point. Bring hands to shoulder level and keep the resistance band tight. Your partner puts hands up, open palms facing forward and away from the face.
Rules- Hit the open palm (with a clenched fist), one hand at a time. Your partner can change his/her hand position up, down or left and right to increase the challenge.
Do this for time (30 seconds) and record the amount of hits, and then your partner can try to beat it. Winner takes all, baby.
Wrapping Up
Rather than slaving away and exercise becoming a chore, insert some fun into your routine to help keep on the fitness straight and narrow. Your body and waistline will thank you for it.
If you want more suggestions on making fitness fun or you’re having trouble getting started click here.
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