Some people find a natural joy in exercising, but most find it to be a tedious chore. That’s particularly true if you’re one of the many individuals who don’t want to invest in expensive gym membership, leading you to find yourself thinly dressed with a cold wind blowing over you as you prepare for an afternoon of calorie-burning.
But exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. With the right approach, just about anyone can discover a way to make exercise personally enjoyable. And finding joy in exercise isn’t just good on a personal level, it’s also good on a physical level because you’ll be more apt to commit to a regimen that you enjoy. Below you can learn about a couple different techniques that you can use to make exercise more fun for you.
Make Small Commitments First
The hardest part of doing anything is getting started. Joining a group might be a big commitment for you, particularly if it involves regular meetings. For many people, an easier way to get started will be doing something in smaller scale. This can be just about anything, including taking a few minutes to go up and down stairs in your apartment building, to deciding to take the steps over an escalator on your way to the office. Even small habitual changes help and add up, like parking your car in the back of the parking lot to force you to walk further when heading out to shop.
Group Activities to Boost Resolve
People are social creatures, so it should come as no surprise to learn that exercising in isolation without the support of others can make an already difficult task even more difficult. If you want to become committed to an exercise regimen, nothing will help you as much as mutual commitment. When your peers, partner, or friends form expectations about your fitness, you’re psychologically more likely to live up to those expectations. And if you are particularly social person, you’ll also find more joy in exercising with others.
There are a number of group exercise opportunities available, from group yoga spin class to dog walking or marathons. A quick Google search for exercise groups in your area would probably reveal dozens of opportunities for you to meet new people. Many of these groups are into sporting activities like cycle teams, competitive Frisbee golf, swimming clubs, and more.
Games and Internet Support
What better way is there to find enjoyment in something then to turn it into a game? There are a number of free health apps that can help gameify your exercise by assigning you missions and locations to travel to while you’re out walking. These geocaching apps, like “Zombies Run!” or “The Walk”, can help turn a normal walk into an epic adventure. These games are usually more interactive than simply listening to music, so they can make your normal walking routine far more enjoyable to do.
If you’re looking for more of a traditional approach, the Internet is littered with thousands of videos that you can help exercise with, including literally any type of music imaginable. These videos combine the approach of Sweatin’ to the Oldies with your own favorite genres and styles of exercise, meaning that there’s something for everyone.
Starting Up
Regular exercise can help you strengthen your heart, decrease your blood pressure, improve your circulation, and confer a number of other important health benefits. If you want to be successful dedicating to an exercise routine, you need to make that experience as enjoyable as possible. And with one of the three tips you’ve just learned about, you’ve got everything you need to get started!
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