Make It Fun!
When exercise is fun it will seem less like a chore.
Add music
Listening to music you enjoy can make a strenuous activity seem easier and it is certainly more enjoyable! For warm up, stretching and cool down time choose music that is slower or around 100 – 110 beats per minute (BPM). Strength exercises should be approximately 110 to 120 and endurance (aerobic) higher than 120 BPM. These are general recommendations, so adjust them as needed for you. One way to determine the beats per minute on any song is to listen and tap along to the beat using a BPM calculator.
Buddy Up
Having a fitness buddy to exercise with can give you that extra push everyone needs sometimes. A recent study shows that people were five times more likely to exercise if their spouse did. You don't need a romantic partner, however, and having a variety of friends and exercise partners will allow for varied activities. Your fitness buddy could have two legs, four legs, or no legs at all!
Try a new activity
Take advantage of classes or group activities in your community, such as Yoga, Pilates, Pound, a spin class, water exercise, belly dancing, kick boxing, just to name a few. It doesn't have to be an organized class, grab a group of friends and go for a hike or bike ride on Saturday mornings. The key is to vary activities you enjoy so you don't get bored – make it something you look forward to!
Get outside
Nature is therapeutic. Research suggests that taking exercise outdoors can decrease feelings of tension, anger and depression. It can also help you feel more energized, so get outside, unplug from technology and take a hike!
Play, like a child
Sometimes it is good to tap into your inner child and regain your childhood enthusiasm. Swing on a swing set to work your shoulders and arms; jump rope for your heart (and your glutes, arms and legs); play tag – on land or in the pool – to burn up calories; play hopscotch to improve balance; or organize a ball game! The bottom line is, people of all ages benefit from unstructured play time.
