How to Make Exercise Fun Again
By Steve Silverman
Exercise should be hard work. You get out of it what you put into it. However, exercise does not have to be the equivalent of hard labor. By introducing variety to the exercise lifestyle, you can feel stimulated and not worn by its grinding effect.
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Exercise with friends or family members. If you have decided to exercise, why not do it with people you have fun with? If you all start to exercise at the same time, you can push and inspire each other. You must realize it's not a competition among each other but a competition against yourself.
Turn on the music. In the gym or on the running track, you might need inspirational music. Fast-paced music generally works best on a step machine or doing a Nautilus circuit. Going for a long run--10 minutes or more--can seem like a daunting task, but when you have the music on, it can go by in the blink of an eye.
Set goals for yourself. If you are a beginner, talk to a workout professional and tell them that you want to start a program. You want to set reasonable and achievable goals that will help you gain strength, cardiovascular fitness and stretch your body. Write out those goals and try to meet them when you exercise at least three times a week.
Record your progress and don't exaggerate. Write down the numbers you have achieved. If you want to curl a 20-pound weight with each arm 12 times and you do it 10 times, write down an accurate figure. Writer down accurate figures for all your exercise achievements. Even if you fall short, it will give you something to shoot for the next time.
Take cost into account. You might have found a top fitness club. But if the club is too expensive, go to the one sponsored by your local park district or the YMCA. It's not about the fancy gym. It's about the work. If you join a club and worry about the cost when you work out, you won't get the most out of it.
Tips & Warnings
Set reasonable goals to help inspire you while you exercise.
About The Author
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
