7 Ways to Make Exercise Fun

Nature's Gym: Taking Your Fitness Outdoors

Moving your fitness outdoors, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to reboot your workout routine. There's a ton of research suggesting that fresh air and natural surroundings can give a significant boost to your mental and physical health. Who wouldn't want that extra edge while working out?

Sunlight can elevate your mood and being in nature reduces stress. Let's not forget the fresh air! Deep breaths of clean air can work wonders for your lungs, and you'll feel this impact as you power through your exercise sessions outdoors.

If you love your gym workouts, then make small changes. Ever tried doing yoga in a local park, or taking your bodyweight workout to a beach? These environments are not just beautiful but they challenge your body in new ways, improving your agility and endurance.

Your regular gym workout might be second nature to you now, but I'd recommend adjusting your routine to include some natural elements. Consider how the resistance of water makes for a great swimming session or how sand can add difficulty to your sprints.

Get Social

Ever notice how a workout can fly by when you're with friends? There's good reason for that. Exercising with others brings a social component that can significantly boost your enthusiasm and commitment.

There is power in working out with others! You can sign up for local fun run, join a Meetup, or play on a Baseball League. Social connections can transform your workout from a solitary chore into an engaging and collaborative experience.

Making new friends might not have been your primary fitness goal, but it's an amazing side benefit. Shared goals create a sense of camaraderie and accountability, helping you to stick to your fitness regimen, especially on those days when motivation is low.

Other ideas include joining a morning jog squad, trying out a dance class, or simply going for a hike with a group. The key is to find social workouts that you look forward to.

Make a Game Out of It

Have you heard of gamification for working out? This concept is actually new to me as well, and came across this concept while researching this article. So-what does gaming have to do with fitness?' Well, it turns out, quite a bit.

Gamification is all about bringing elements of play and competition into non-game contexts, like your fitness routine. Incorporating this into your exercise regimen can make the whole process feel less like a chore and more like a thrilling adventure you can't wait to embark on. Here's a glimpse into how that can look:

Consider apps and fitness trackers that turn step counts into daily challenges. Virtual reality fitness games make you squat and dodge as if you're truly in another world, sweating it out as you slay dragons or slice flying fruit. This isn't going to be for everyone- I have a love/hate relationship with AI. (The one thing AI can never replace though is the need for the actual human being to work out for themselves).

If you want to go the non-tech route, you can make a game out of your routines. Challenge yourself to beat your last workout by upping the intensity or duration. Create a points system for your weekly exercises — earn enough, and treat yourself to a new experience or reward. It's about finding that fun spark to light up your training sessions.

Reward Yourself

This can be a great strategy if you are extrinsically motivated. Treating yourself doesn't mean eating hamburgers after every workout or spending a fortune on brand name workout clothes. You don't want to sabotage your fitness or your finances. Think of some ways that you can treat yourself after meeting a lofty fitness goal. Is there a Fitness Watch you've had your eye on.. or a new fancy restaurant you've wanted to go to?

I actually like to reward myself with Adventure trips. One example is hiking the Grand Canyon. The actual hike is my reward- so the entire time I'm training for it (and hiking around Phx) is very motivating!

Vary your workouts

If you are always performing the same movements with the same weights and reps, you'll not only hit a mental rut but also a physical plateau. Our bodies adapt quickly and resist change. So mix it up—you absolutely need variety! It will be a welcome change for both your body and mind.

Varying your workout prevents muscle adaptation, encouraging continual muscle growth and improvement. Not to mention, it keeps your brain engaged, which can make the time fly by. Plus, if you're someone with a bundle of different fitness goals - strength, endurance, flexibility - variety is absolutely key.

So, what are some ways you can add variety? As I mentioned earlier, moving your workout from the gym to the outdoors will naturally move you to new types of workouts. Love running? Change your pace, add interval training, or explore new routes. If you like to use equipment, you can take portable pieces to the park! 

You can apply variety to the intensity and duration of your workouts as well. On some days you can go for a long, steady-state cardio session, and other days, you can do a quick, high-intensity interval training.

Set New Goals Continuously

A goal to work out 3 times a week is good- but to get out of your workout rut, you must make bigger goals for yourself . Does the goal- Workout 3 times a week challenge you?

It helps to evaluate your current fitness level and resources, including time, equipment access, and knowledge. Then- based on the answers , you can make more specific goals for your workouts that will take you out of your comfort zone.

I would keep your goals within the SMART goal setting framework. Let's say you want to work on arm strength and at this point, you can do 5 pushups. A natural and simple progression for this is to set a Goal to increase your pushups to 15-20 over 1-2 months. (There are so many variations of push up programs/challenges that the time varies due to time, effort, personal fitness, and commitment).

Perhaps you just started running and want to increase your mileage over time. An example goal would be "To increase my running mileage to 5 miles within 3 months". You're still meeting your goal of working out- but being more deliberate in challenging yourself and improving your fitness over time!

If you really need the extra motivation, consider hiring a personal trainer to prepare you for an event or challenge you with new exercises to overcome boredom and plateaus. The real value of a Personal Trainer is that you have someone else that holds you accountable and they have knowledge and expertise. You also pay money out of your own pocket, so you wont' want that go to waste.

Reflect on Your Progress

Think about where you were when you first started. How much weight were you lifting? How quickly did you get winded running 1 mile only 3 months ago? Are your clothes fitting differently now? Assessing your progress reminds you why you started and how far you've come. Your hard work, time, and commitment have paid off, and now it's time to set new goals.

7 Ways to Make Exercise Fun Summary

Workout boredom doesn't have to last! Take your workout outdoors for the fresh air, sunlight and being in beautiful nature. Joining a running club or participating in outdoor activities can be motivating and help you make new friends. Purposefully adding variety to your workouts is better for your mind and body. Setting new goals will keep you from hitting a plateau and help you maintain or improve your fitness as you age. And don't forget to reward yourself and reflect on the progress you make!

Thanks for taking the time to explore these strategies with me. I'd love to hear what methods you've decided to implement, so don't hesitate to share your experiences. Keep pushing the boundaries of fun and fitness, and I'll see you on the path to a more playful workout routine!