You Can Have Fun and Exercise at the Same Time Heres How

By Staff Reporter - 09 Sep '19 22:53PM
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Most people want to be in good shape, they want to be healthy and happy, but when it comes time to hit the treadmill, something happens. Something that can only be described as unbearable boredom. It doesn't help, either, that most gyms are brightly lit, poorly decorated and smell like someone else's feet.

A lot of people find they don't exercise, not because they are incapable or because they don't want to, but because exercise has traditionally been seen as tiring, tedious work. But it doesn't have to be. You can get in shape without boring yourself to death, and without ever stepping foot inside a depressing gym.

With the right atmosphere, a challenging yet exhilarating activity, some spirited competition and a personal reward system, you can get the results you want without ever having to sacrifice a good time. Here's how!

Everything's Better With Friends

First of all, consider that the reason exercise is so boring and tedious is because you do it alone. Exercising with a friend not only passes the time better, because you have someone to talk to, but it also motivates you to try harder. Studies have shown that people work out longer and harder when in the presence of those they know, because they feel a social pressure not to fail. That might sound severe, but it is a great way of ensuring that you see your workout through to the end.

With your friend, choose a time during the week or day that consistently works, and schedule some fun activities. Remember, the activities don't need to be conventionally "fitness-y", like jogging or weight lifting - as long as you are breaking a bit of a sweat, you are exercising.

For Activities, Think Outside the Box

Who says you have to stick to conventional ideas? One of the most popular new sports right now, axe throwing, is a perfect example of an activity that is geared toward having fun, but also just so happens to be a good workout. Most people who do axe throwing do it because it's exhilarating and competitive (and, by all accounts, pretty addictive), but the continued motion of throwing works out your upper body and core. In other words, you can make your fitness routine fun with axe throwing without ever having to think about the gym.

Turn off the Fitbit

The more you count burned calories, the more you focus on the quantitative aspects of exercise, rather than the experiential. Turn off the Fitbit, and instead ask yourself this: do I feel good afterwards? Did I break a sweat? Is my heart pumping? It's difficult to have fun while you are clinically calculating calories burned, so focus instead on how good the exercise makes you feel.

As this article in the Healthy Home Economist points out, the end goal of exercise should be movement and stress reduction, and a Fitbit, or other fitness-tracking device, can work counter to that goal by micromanaging your exercise time.

Get Competitive

As mentioned above, introducing competition into exercise makes it a) go quicker, and b) feel more exciting. Rather than run for an hour, play an hour of intramurals soccer. Instead of lift a dumbbell three times a week, join an axe throwing league. Instead of high intensity interval training, play squash with your friend down at the local rec centre. Each of these fun activities can have the same exercise benefits as their conventional counterparts - only they feel less like work and more like play.

Reward, Don't Punish

Finally, if you want to make exercise fun, remove it from any personal punitive cycle you might have established. In other words, do not punish yourself for failing to meet a goal, or failing to follow a routine. Instead, reward yourself when you do meet reasonable, achievable goals.

This reward can be as simple as a personal pat on the back. Or you can allow yourself something you don't normally get - a big-ticket purchase or a nice meal. It's important not to associate exercise with the shame and embarrassment of failure, but rather with the fun and happiness of success. If you do that, you will start to reframe the idea of exercise as a positive force in your life.

How many more people would exercise if they knew it could be fun? How many more people would get healthier and happier if they knew that it could be a positive experience, rather than a potential personal failure? To get started on a fun path toward fitness, grab a friend, try an exciting new activity, get competitive and reward yourself for a job well done!

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* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of newseveryday.com

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