Photo by CC user CDC/ Amanda Mills, acquired from Public Health Image Library (http://phil.cdc.gov/)
I cannot remember the last time I woke up and was like ‘yes, today is the day that I get up and really enjoy the workout that I have planned for myself.’ It was more like me waking up, seeing the alarm and the time that it was, and then rolling over and hitting snooze to go back to sleep for another hour (at least). I wanted to help any fellow workout (un)enthusiasts out there by outlining some of the best ways to put the fun back into exercise. I hope that they’re helpful for you and that you manage to apply them to your own workouts. After all, there are plenty of workouts (like IDF training which is the home of krav maga in Melbourne, or the BetterMe WorkOut app) which can help you make exercise fun again.
Walk with your dog or some friends
If you used to do a lot of cardio and you’re struggling to get out in the mornings or the afternoons, you might need to get yourself some motivation. A great way to do this is to get a dog to walk with, or to get a group of friends together. If you have a dog that is waiting for you to walk with it, then you can’t very well turn your back on it, and if you have a bunch of friends who are expecting you to turn up, you can’t really tell them that you won’t be there. Make sure you have someone or an animal that will make you accountable for your workouts, and you’ll never skip a workout again.
Do something that you love
If you are really only going running or going to boot camp because you want to have a smoking hot body at the end of it (but you hate getting up at 5am or you hate doing circuits) you might find that you don’t got to class as often as you should. If you pick an activity that you truly love and enjoy, you’ll find that factoring it into your schedule isn’t too difficult. You should have fun and be losing weight in the process of doing so. For you, excellent exercise might mean taking your kids to the park and kicking a ball around, or it might be going to personal trainer for a one on one session. Whatever it is about the exercise that you love, make sure that you use them to your best advantage.
Don’t stagnate
If you always are going out and doing the same exercises every day, you will probably find that you are getting a bit tired of them and you may have plateaued. You need to try something new every now and then, otherwise you run the risk of things getting a bit stale. Whether you give hula hooping, trampolining or spin class a go – just make sure it’s something new and exciting.
Get competitive
If you are used to being a lone wolf with your exercising, why not try something like joining a team as part of your fitness regime? It won’t hurt as far as things are concerned with your fitness and you’ll enjoy the extra socialising for sure!
Whatever you choose to do with your fitness, the bottom line is that you practice your fitness regularly, and that you figure out what works for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s running with mates or doing yoga at 5am – it just has to work for you. Good luck with your fitness goals and have a happy and productive year.
