When it comes to health, fitness, and exercise in general, one of the biggest obstacles we’re ever likely to have to overcome is actually enjoying what we’re doing and making exercising fun and enjoyable. Think about it, when young children are running around in the garden, kicking and throwing balls, jumping on things, wrestling, climbing, crawling, and everything else that young children tend to do, do you think they’re doing it to keep fit and healthy, or do you think they’re doing it because they’re having fun and they enjoy it? The fits of laughter and the beaming grins from ear to ear on the kid’s faces are probably a dead giveaway as to the answer to that question. They’re having fun, and in the meantime, without even realising, they’re getting some much needed exercise in the process. The fact of the matter is that no matter how much you exercise, if you aren’t having fun and enjoying yourself, not only is this taxing on you mentally, it also means you’re far less likely to work as hard as you should be, and can be working anyways. Exercise should not be a chore, it should not make us miserable, and it should not makes us stressed, anxious, and depressed. Exercise should be enjoyable and it should be fun and to help point out just how easily this can be achieved, take a look at these handy suggestions.
Work out with a buddy
If you exercise alone, whether it be at home, in the park, the gym, the swimming baths, or anywhere else for that matter, you will almost certainly feel bored and unmotivated from time to time, and there’s simply no way around that. If you rope in a buddy to exercise with you however, you not only have somebody to talk to and share a joke with, you also have somebody who you can perhaps compete with and share a little friendly rivalry with. Remember, this doesn’t have to be at the gym, it can be anywhere you like, providing you’re actually exercising and working out that is.
Try new things
If you’re performing cardio because you’re trying to lose fat and also improve your fitness and stamina in the process, rather than simply using the treadmill at the gym several times per week, why not try different forms of cardio instead? You could go for the easy option and use an exercise bike or crosstrainer instead of the treadmill, or you could avoid the gym altogether and go swimming, walking, hiking, cycling, jogging, or anything else for that matter. If you feel as if you’re stuck in a rut, remember that variety is the spice of life so try to include as much variety in your life as possible.
Try group fitness classes
Another great way of making exercise far more fun and much more enjoyable is to take part in various group fitness classes, specific to whichever health and fitness goals you may have in mind of course. These classes are ideal as they allow you to meet with, and socialize with new people, you have an expert instructor, or instructors on hand to offer the best advice and to force you to really push yourself, and above all else, due to the number of individuals taking part, classes tend to be far more enjoyable and memorable.
Play games
When we say ‘play games’ we don’t mean you should invite your buddy round and have a few games on your PS4, nor do we mean you should sit down at the table and have a game of Trivial Pursuit, the games we’re referring to are of the sporting variety. If you enjoy racket-based sports such as tennis, squash, or badminton for example, why not rope friends/family members in and play a few games at your nearest leisure centre? Whichever game you choose to play, if you really push yourself and play as if you were indeed representing your country in the finals of the Olympic games, you will work up quite a sweat and can potentially burn several hundred calories off in the process. The great thing about this is that you can choose whichever sports and games you enjoy, or whichever sports and games you think you’ll enjoy, and can play as much or as little as you like. If possible, why not go with a team sport as this will help you to socialise, meet new people, make new friends, and have even more fun in the process.
Buy new fitness gear
They say that a little retail therapy does you the world of good, and if you find yourself bored, uninspired and stuck in a rut, why not take yourself shopping and buy new gym and fitness gear? Obviously the gym is not intended to be used as a fashion parade, but even so, there’s nothing wrong with taking a little pride in your appearance and purchasing fitness clothing that perhaps compliments your physique, not to mention makes you feel comfortable and more efficient as you exercise. You don’t need to spend the earth, and you don’t need to go with expensive brands if you don’t like. The bottom line is if it’s comfortable, non-restricting, and looks good on you, why shouldn’t you wear it? If you look and feel better, your confidence levels will also soar so you’ll enjoy your workouts far more anyways.
Focus on the positives
When we diet and exercise for prolonged periods of time, although it may come as second nature to some of us, it can still take its toll on us and it can still make us feel unhappy and unmotivated, especially the longer we’ve been doing it. When we first begin working out and/or dieting, we will almost certainly begin seeing positive results, we’ll feel happier, we’ll feel more driven, and we’ll want to continue doing so. As time goes by however, things change and we forget why we’re doing it in the first place. If you ever feel like this, set aside a few minutes each day and remind yourself why you’re doing it and focus on the positives. The positives will obviously include getting fitter and healthier, but they may also involve losing fat, building muscle, looking better, being able to wear better/smaller clothing, and being able to take back your life in the process. If you remind yourself of that each day, you’ll soon be busting your butt in the gym and working harder than ever before, counting down the hours until you get to do it all over again.
