How to Make Working Out and
Fitness Fun By Denis Faye
I don't
know about you, but I'm lazy by nature. Sure, there are those out there who
just take to exercise, any exercise. And you'd think, working in the fitness
industry, I'd be one such soul. No such luck. If it's not fun, I've got
Boston Legal on TiVo and that's going to take priority.
Because of
this, when I was in my mid-twenties and decided to turn my life around, the
eating part was easy—but the getting-in-shape part? Oy vey! After a few
false starts, I discovered the trick, ultimately, was to make working out fun.
Once that happened, it all fell into place.
How'd I
do it? Well, here are a few ways. Enjoy!
 Try
something new. Sure, for best results,
Power 90
requires 90 days, but after those three months, go do something else! After a
fitness boot camp like that, you'll be amazed at the things you can now do -
jog, rock climb, yoga, rollerblade, you name it. Not only will this motivate
you, but you'll be cross training, working your muscles in new ways to prevent
plateaus and increase results!
 Play a
sport. You'll see a lot of the benefits of number 1, plus you'll get
the camaraderie of playing on a team. Furthermore, you armchair quarterbacks
can finally put your money where your mouth is. If you're concerned that you'll
make a fool of yourself, don't stress. Check with your local town hall or YMCA
for sports classes and leagues filled with people at your level.
 Get a
buddy. Okay, so rugby might be a little intimidating. Why not settle
for a workout buddy? It's a lot easier to try new things as a team. Start with
walking and go up from there. Try tennis, hopscotch, anything. My personal
favorite is grabbing an amigo and hitting the rock climbing gym. It sounds a
lot scarier than it is. Believe it or not, you'll be scaling walls after as
little as 30 minutes of training.
 Get the whole family involved. For
some of us, our exercise time conflicts with family time - so mix the two. Go
hiking, skiing, or set up a little Sunday touch football. Kids have tons of
energy. Use that to your advantage!
 Go
dancing. Single? Hate sports? Hit the dance floor. Dancing is a great
aerobic exercise because it's easy to get lost in the music and spend hours
shaking your thing.
 Use an
MP3 player. Same thing. Get one, plug in your favorite tunes and even
the most repetitious chore becomes a rockin' good
time.
 Bedroom
athletics. Okay, this is a family company, so here's a tough one to
talk about. Suffice it to say two things. First, what goes on behind closed
doors can burn tons of calories. Second, the more imagination you use, the
harder you work. 'Nuff said.
 Shop it up. On to another vice. You're
working hard and your body's getting ripped. Time to reap the rewards and
support the economy, all at once. Ladies, low-ride jeans and midriff tops
aren't just for Jennifer Aniston. Guys, put the XXXL Hawaiian shirt away. It's
time for a fitted tee.
 Fitness
vacations. The conventional wisdom is that time off is meant for
lounging. Forgetaboutit! Go mountain biking in Moab! Go surfing in Fiji! Go
camping! Not the outdoors type? Take a cruise and sign up for every activity
you can! Or head to a beautiful location for a weekend fitness camp.
 Share your wisdom. Odds are, you know more
about fitness than you think you do. Guiding other people through the journey
can be super rewarding. Who knows? It might even lead to a career in the
fitness industry. But wait a minute. That would be about having fun in your
job, and that's an article for another time . . . |
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