Fun And Fitness: Make Exercise Enjoyable

We all try really hard to motivate ourselves to exercise, especially in the early days, but the repetitiveness and hard work doesn’t exactly make everyone eager to hop on a treadmill more than once a week. Remember when you were a kid and no one had to force you to exercise? Sure, maybe you didn’t enjoy P.E. as much as the other kids, but you would still be out riding your bike, climbing trees, and playing with our friends in the park. Exercise wasn’t something you did because you felt the need to stay in shape, you did it because you loved exercise. It’s time to put some of that fun into your current fitness regime.

Trampoline

For those kids lucky enough to have a trampoline growing up, it was the closest thing there was to flying. You were probably having so much fun practicing your tricks that you didn’t know the effect it had on your body. With just ten minutes a day on a trampoline, you could boost weight loss, define muscle tone, and improve your overall health. A ten minute workout on a trampoline is the equivalent of running on a treadmill for thirty minutes. It firms the legs, thighs, abdomen, arms and hips, increases agility, and improves sense of balance. Most importantly, it lowers the risk of injury, as the flexible surface reduces the impact of landing.

Dancing

Sometimes the problem with structured workouts is that they’re boring, or they’re not fun enough to keep you interested. Dancing is one of the more fun workouts out there, whether you buy a dance workout DVD, blast the music on your radio, or check out one of the Zumba dance workout classes in your area. It’s also a full body workout that’s good for your heart, makes you stronger, and aids with balance and coordination. A 30 minute workout can burn as many calories as jogging. But unlike running on a treadmill, dancing is also a creative outlet; you can make up your own moves, learn established steps, and choose your own music.

Cycling

Before it was an activity you did at the gym or a way to get to work, cycling was a form of freedom. When you couldn’t rely on your parents to drive you anywhere, or the bus wouldn’t quite take you to where you needed to go, your trusty bike was your main form of transport. The next the sun is out and you have the day off, take your bike to the coastline or to the woods and just ride for the sheer pleasure of it. The benefits for you body are even better; sports physiologists have found that even after cycling for 30 minutes, you could be burning a higher amount of total calories for a few hours after you stop.

Fun with friends

Everything’s more fun if you’re sharing the experience with your friends. You can form a team and join a local sports club, or just go dancing together.