25 Ways to Make Fitness Fun
Feb 28th 2008Amy Jo HinesPhysical Fitness
Some days you just don’t want to workout. Is it your willpower, or is your workout boring? Making changes to your workout not only motivates you, it can bring physical improvement by challenging your body in new ways.
- Get involved in a sport.
- Listen to music. MP3 players are inexpensive. Be sure to stay safe.
- Spend time alone.
- Join with a friend.
- Get the whole family involved. Play active games and make it fun. Bonuses include time with your family and leading your children to have healthy lifestyles.
- Take your dog for a walk or jog. If you don’t have a dog, borrow one. Depending on the dog, you may also be able to bike with your dog. Remember the same common sense rules you use for exercising apply to dogs.
- Listen to a podcasts. Learn while you workout, again be safe.
- Link fitness to another fun activity. Be creative. You can even workout while you play computer games.
- Compete in a race or charity event. Being signed up to run a 5K in a month means you better start training now.
- Do your workout in a new way. Instead of a whole body strength routine, try a split routine.
- Add a new activity.
- Relax. Take away goals and just enjoy the activity.
- Make a bet. Have a fun (or crazy) bet with a friend that you will achieve your goal.
- Reward yourself for completing a goal.
- Be accountable. Ask a friend to review your progress daily, and help you stay on track.
- Change the time or location of you workout. Spring is coming, maybe its time to get outside.
- Set a big, hairy, audacious goal. As Brian Littrell said: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
- Re-evaluate your goals, change them if you need to.
- Answer questions like “Why?” (Why am I getting in shape?) and “What?” (What are the benefits of achieving this goal?).
- Plan your workout in advance. Then Just Do It.
- Multitask. Work fast and bring your everyday chores an aerobic level workout.
- Slow down. Be aware of the signs of overtraining.
- Hire a personal trainer.
- Evaluate why its not working, then make changes. (e.g. - If you dislike being cold, dark and alone, you goal to jog at 6 AM in winter will be very difficult to achieve.)
- Simplify. Chose one area to work on now and later you can emphasize a new area.
My Plan
Last summer I rejoined Big Sky Martial Arts, after being away for seven years. I had attained a red belt previously, just two levels below black belt. My only fitness goal this year is earning my black belt in Taekwondo in November of 2008. This is a big goal, involving Taekwondo, self-defense, running, sit-ups, push-ups, Jujitsu / Hapkido, teaching and community service. Last month I took a Jujitsu class. Currently I am working on my endurance by running with my dogs.
How do you plan to have fun and be fit at the same time?
