5 FUN Ways to Exercise

Since it was my birthday this past Monday, my 6am bootcamp class and I played dodge-ball.  After the 34 burpees I made them do, of course. 😉 We had SO.MUCH.FUN.

Days like that make me think about fitness in a different way–the “fun” way that most people don’t know about.

Sure, for me, lifting heavy weight is a lot of fun. But running or biking is NOT. And for others, it’s the exact opposite. But so many people get wrapped up in their typical exercises or training program that they don’t dare stray from, and the same people end up forgetting how to have fun with exercise.

So your mission this week is to find a FUN way to exercise. I’ve come up with 5 ways to add variety into your training, but don’t limit yourself to just this list! Anything you can think of to add, list it at the bottom in the comments section!

5 Ways to Add Variety and FUN to Exercising:

• Use your pets or your kids. Take a walk, go to a park, run around the yard, build forts and play capture the flag, throw tennis balls (for the dogs, not at your kids) 😉 and just have some good ol’ fashioned rough-housing fun.  Erik and I try to walk our pups a mile every day and when I was a kid, my dad used to play basketball and softball with my sister and me in the front yard. We had no idea we were “exercising”!
• Get outside–especially while it’s still beautiful! Go hiking, rock climbing, bouldering, geocaching, surfing, ANYTHING that makes you walk around and enjoy some beautiful scenery. I love hiking and going on long walks at this time of year. I read somewhere that November 17th is National Hiking Day. Start planning your hike now!
• Get gym-nasty with gymnastics. Practice handstands–holds, walking, shoulder taps, push-ups, etc. Practice cartwheels, somersaults, headstands, or anything that makes you feel like a kid again. You will work your muscles in surprising ways and probably have a blast getting upside down again.
• Take a class or play a sport you haven’t played before/in a long time. Sign up for a martial arts class or a yoga class. How about taking a different class at the gym? Spin? Dance? Join a rec league basketball team, go swimming, or play tennis with some friends. I bet you’ll not only have fun but you’ll probably make new friends too!
• Do something that will make you feel accomplished. Have you ever said, “I don’t have time to exercise today?” We’ve all been there. So when you’re having one of those days, think about the things you can do that will burn calories but help you get things done. Cleaning, vacuuming, yard work, laundry, even running errands and walking through stores will burn some calories. Take advantage of every moment in your day to burn a little extra. (I love my fit-bit for this. Some days I’m fascinated at the amount of steps I take and calories I burn just because I’m so “busy” that day.)

And when all else fails, just do 34 burpees and play dodge-ball for 45 minutes. We burned about 600+ calories according to my fitbit! 😉

Just in case you’re a creature of habit and need a workout for tomorrow, here’s a conditioning workout for you. But seriously think about the above 5 options and go have some FUN with FITNESS!

SFCW Thu. 10/30/14

10 Rounds for Time:

• 10 Hollow Rocks
• 10 Supermans
• 10 Goblet squats (or air squats)
• 10 Shoulder Taps (from the top of push-up position as seen in featured image)
• 1 minute plank hold

Have any other fun fitness ideas? List them in the comments below! And stay tuned for Saturday’s workout–it will definitely be a “fun” one…based on your Halloween candy consumption. So stay tuned, and keep track of your splurges Friday night! 😉