Have you ever thought to yourself that you need to get out more, do more, work out more, exercise more, but it just doesn’t seem to fit in your schedule?
Or maybe you do make a schedule, and stick to it for a while but then either fall off the bandwagon or get bored and find better things to do?
One of the most important things to do to start or keep at it is to find ways to make exercise fun.
Growing up, and also as an adult, I find most people talking about sports like baseball, soccer, running, etc…
And I’m just really not into those things. Never have been.
I love video games!
I only eventually got into fitness with the invention of Dance Dance Revolution
and Wii-Fit.
And you know what, at the time I almost felt bad like I was wasting my money on “exercise games” instead of fun games or gym memberships or something that I figured would be more anecdotally useful.
EXCEPT I didn’t know it at the time, but sinking money into activates that I enjoyed WAS the best thing I could be doing with my money!
I wouldn’t have used a gym membership, I wouldn’t have used equipment, but yes I absolutely used the crap out of those games!
The key to staying fit and keeping at it is making exercise fun and enjoyable and something you look forward to doing!
I even felt bad later on when I wanted more games like that. Like when Wii-Fit Plus came out, I struggled with my desires to buy it – because I already had the original, I figured what more good would the new one do??
Except that I was getting bored of the old one, and getting the new one would inspire me to exercise more again.
Which is the point!
To keep at it.
It doesn’t matter if you sink it bit more money into it every now and then. Your health is worth it in the long run!
So figure out what’s fun for you and do that!
Then when it changes, or when you get bored, change it up! Find something new!
And keep at it.
It’s important 🙂
You are so right that we all need to find a way to make our exercise fun, each in our own way. Personally, I prefer to exercise outside when the weather is good. And I truly like to get out and sweat, and work off anxiety. I live with narcolepsy, which means that I don’t always have the energy to get out there, as well as some inner ear and balance issues. Last summer, after 20 years of not being able to ride a bike, I invested in a tadpole recumbent trike, which solves the problem of balance. And if I get sleepy, it is like riding a lawn chair, and I can lay my head back on the headrest and close my eyes for a time. It’s perfect for me. I also catch time to walk outside when I drive my daughter to appointment. Why sit and wait inside for an hour when I can talk a nice walk and get some fresh air.
Totally agree Wendy. Exercise is to be enjoyed 🙂 Being able to find away to move the body everyday that is enjoyable ensures you will do it and actually want to do it.
I think when people say they do not like exercise, its because, like you say the feel bad spending the time and money doing something they don’t enjoy. Going to the gym and paying all that money just because you think you need to or ought to, is a sure path to not sticking with it and feeling that exercise is a waste of time and effort.
Running to me is a beautiful way to move my body, it’s my passion running in nature and the feeling during and after it. I am a fanatic person who loves keeping fit and healthy. But not everyone is like this, or they have not experienced a level of fitness yet to know if they like it.
So in my humble opinion, finding something you love doing exercise wise is essence of keeping fit and healthy.
Thanks Wendy for highlighting this.
Wendy, how true! If exercise is not fun, I will not keep it up. And it took a looong time to make that connection. Duh! Now I love to distance cycle, hike and snowshoe so I invest in those activities. I still have to overcome the couch inertia, though, and get my arse out there and actually do it! Happy once I’m there, but boy, getting going is tough for me. A huge help for me is having others to do it with. I get lost in the camaraderie and conversation. If one can find an activity they enjoy and enjoy for life, that’s a bonus!
This is such a great reminder to try different things until we find what we love! I always thought I hated exercise but I always did the same old boring exercises that never interested me — turns out I love bike riding! It’s so important that we get out of our comfort zone and try new things or else we may never find what we really like to do!