It’s no secret that healthy living is an effective way to live your best life.
Not only does exercising promote optimal health, it also makes you feel more confident.
Unfortunately, though, there are still quite a few people who live sedentary lives.
One of the main reasons for this has to do with spending hours at a time sitting down for work. But another one is simply because most people think exercise is a drag.
When you think about working out, especially if you’re doing it because you feel you have to for some reason or another, it becomes a chore.
You might conjure up images of early morning boot camp classes or attempt to keep up with a DVD in your living room – all the while feeling bored, uninspired or even intimidated.
But what if I told you physical activity could be fun?
Would you be more inclined to get moving?
Assuming the answer is yes, I’ll share a few ideas with you that’ll make exercise sound a lot more appealing.
Working out can be a social and creative experience. It’s just about taking the time to get real with yourself and doing a little bit of investigating.
Fun Ways to Add Physical Activity to Your Life
When I suggest investigating options and using creativity to add physical fitness to your life, the idea is to discover what makes you tick.
Exercise isn’t a one size fits all kind of thing. Anything goes – as long as it’s safe and something you’ll stick with.
Your best bet is to see what makes you come alive and find out more about how to get involved in an activity that suits your fancy.
There are a few things you can look into – and the good news is it doesn’t matter whether you’re already in shape or if you’re a beginner.
Here they are.
1. Make it social
One of the most effective ways to stick with an exercise program is to include others in your activities.
You can find a workout buddy or invite a group of people to join you for a fitness walk.
Having company will not only keep you accountable and consistent (as long as one of you doesn’t quit), it’ll keep things colorful and pleasant.
I’ve seen groups of people go for walks in the mall before it opens, and a while back, I personally had a workout buddy that showed up at my place early in the morning for our daily fitness walk.
On both accounts, exercise became more of a social experience rather than a chore.
2. Take up a new skill
Have you ever wanted to learn something new?
Maybe you know someone who takes Yoga and they talk about the incredible benefits they’ve experienced from it.
Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to learn martial arts, but you just didn’t take the idea seriously and therefore, never took action.
Well, it isn’t too late to try new things.
You don’t have to be the best at it, but you might find it fun and exciting to participate anyway.
Of course, anything you learn to do requires you to respect your current level of fitness. So if you’re a beginner, train like one until you’re conditioned enough to challenge yourself further.
But don’t let being a newbie inhibit you from taking the first step.
Don’t let age or doubts stop you either.
Everyone’s gotta start somewhere.
You can do a quick search online and find stories of people who, later in life, have gone on to reach a goal they’ve set for themselves – even though they had no prior skills or experience to back up their desires.
All they had was a strong enough desire to achieve something, and they did it.
You can too.
So if you feel excited by the idea of running a marathon, taking self-defense classes, learning to dance or anything else, investigate what’s in your area and price range and see what it’ll take to get started.
It’ll feel less like an annoying exercise program and more like an exciting new venture.
3. Hire a trainer or coach
Working with a professional offers a lot of benefits.
Yes, we all know that a trainer or coach can help you reach your goals and prevent you from giving up when things get tough.
But there’s more to it than that. Working with someone is about building a new relationship.
When you hire a personal trainer or a wellness coach, you include a social component to your program. The conversation makes the time go by quickly and adds a level of entertainment and camaraderie to your workouts.
If you find someone who is well-qualified, who you have chemistry with and who you feel you can trust, you’re likely to stick with your program. You’ll look forward to spending time with this person.
They’ll be your confidant and your cheerleader. They’ll also help you to discover your self-imposed limitations and they’ll guide you through new ways of thinking that’ll serve you well in all areas of your life.
So the next time you brush off the idea of adding physical activity to your routine because it seems like a drag, think about implementing the ideas mentioned here.
Even if you have to try a few things on for size before you find what best suits you, it’ll be worth it in the long run.
You’ll reap the rewards of a health and fitness program that’ll be perfectly tailored to your unique needs and desires.