If you’re starting to dread your trips to the gym or your morning runs, it might be time to inject a little fun into your exercise regime. Use the following tips to make your workouts enjoyable again, and you can stay on track to meet all your health and fitness goals.
Find Out What Kind Of Exerciser You Are
There are many types of exerciser; you need to find out which category you fall into before you can start to make things fun again.
For instance, if you’re a social exerciser, do you have friends and family to exercise with? Can you join a class with like-minded people? You might be a focused exerciser, which means solo workouts – such as running and swimming – might be for you. Or perhaps you’re target driven, in which case an app such as the Fitbug exercise tracker might get you motivated again.
Do Something You Love
If you find that you’re only interested in the end results that exercise delivers, the chances are you won’t stick to your regime and make it part of your lifestyle. You shouldn’t be watching the clock when you’re running, cycling or lifting weights; you should be having fun and enjoying the process.
For you, exercise might mean taking your children to the local playing fields and kicking a football around. Exercise might involve becoming a personal trainer and helping other people to achieve their fitness goals. Identify the areas of exercise that motivate and excite you, and use them to get fit and stay in shape.
Don’t Become Stale
Once you have chosen a form of exercise that you enjoy, it’s important not to bore yourself with it after just a few months.
Every once and a while, try something completely new. If you like to cycle four times a week, drop your weekly cycle rides to three once in a while, and replace the fourth with something fun and unusual.
Whether you try hula hoop classes, Pilates, spinning or trampolining, keep exercise fresh and exiting, and you can’t fail to have fun with it.
Multi-Task
Who says you can’t read a bestseller while working out on your stationary bike? Why can’t you watch your favourite soaps when pounding the treadmill?
Whether you want to send emails, text your friends or watch music videos whilst exercising, modern technology means you can do just about anything while you’re burning off calories. Some people have even installed walking desks in their offices!
If you use a mobile fitness app, you can monitor your progress while watching a movie on your phone. If you struggle to fit exercise into your day, multi-tasking is a great way to keep things interesting while getting things done.
Get a Dog
Bringing a dog into your life will probably change your lifestyle – and your approach to exercise – overnight. Studies have shown that new dog owners naturally lose weight, as they have to take their dog outside for walks and activity at least twice a day.
You don’t have to own a dog to reap the rewards of exercising with one, however. Simply head over to your local kennels or rescue centre, and volunteer your services as a dog walker.
Get Competitive
If you’re the competitive kind, setting up some friendly competition with family and friends is a great way to make exercise fun. You can time yourself on bikes, rowing machines and cross trainers over certain distances.
You can go for a run with friends and make a race of it. There are fitness apps that can monitor average speed and distance – which you can then share online or on social media. A little friendly competition might give meaning to the pain and discomfort you go through every time you head for the gym.
Look for Inspiration
Inspiration for your exercise can be found in many places. For instance, you might find it by reading health and fitness magazines, or by joining a local weight loss club.
Inspiration can sometimes come from watching high-profile sporting events such as the Olympics. Take part in online discussion forums, join a local club or simply talk to friends and family about your exercise rituals – inspiration is often found in the most unusual places.
Exercise shouldn’t be part of a short-term strategy to lose weight – it should be a way of life. And the only way you’re going to make exercise an integral part of your daily life is to make it fun.