How do you view exercise?
For some people ‘boredom,’ ‘pain,’ or ‘torture’ are the words that immediately spring into mind!
If this is you, I must tell you’ve been mislead…exercise should and can be a fun activity! 
The secret to enjoying your workout is choosing an activity that suits your personality. It doesn’t have to be a gym workout. In fact, simply moving more than normal will be beneficial to your health!
Today’s challenge is to get out of your comfort zone and try a different activity…
Sometimes when we find an activity we love, we don’t like to deviate from it too much.
However it’s said that, “a change is as good as a rest”, so perhaps adding a new activity to your workout regimen would spice things up a little!
Here are a few options to add more variety to your workout:
- Sand boarding
- Diving
- Surfing or Boogie boarding
- Roller skating or roller blading
- Skate boarding
- Skipping
- Team sports such as netball, football, ice hockey
- Trampolining
- Housework
- Snowboarding or skiing
- Hula hooping
- Pilates
- Rock climbing
- Ice skating
- Mountain biking
- Cycling
- Climbing gyms
- Rock climbing
- Abseiling
- Gardening
- Sprinting
- Weight lifting
- Swimming
- Water aerobics
- Canyoning
- Nintendo Wii Fit
- Fitness DVD such as kick-boxing, or martial arts
- Speed walking
- Dancing
Obviously some of these activities won’t necessarily be the focus of your regular exercise training, however they can make up part of your exercise routine.
It doesn’t have to be something crazy (as some of the above are!), just something a little different for you – it’ll challenge your boundaries, and make fitness much more exciting as a result.
Are you stuck for time? Perhaps you could fit in a morning workout, or go for a walk on your lunch break?
Remember, it doesn’t have to be a full-on gym workout; just something enjoyable, and moderately taxing.
Check out my previous post on how to make yourself love exercise for more tips.
Will you try a new activity today? Have you got any other suggestions?
To transform the lifestyles of a diet-obsessed world by teaching people how to eat healthy and make healthy eating a habit for life.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Variety is key! Recently I’ve started trying out all the classes that my gym offers (why not, I’m paying for the membership!). I really like the yoga one!
Taking a class for me creates motivation, because I can’t say I’ll do it later. It is at a specific time and won’t wait for me. If I don’t show up, it will still happen only I’ll be the one missing out.
@nathanmcgee
Nathan,
Yes, great idea – it’s good to find something that helps you stick with it. Have you tried Pilates? That’s what I’ve been doing lately, and I really enjoy it.
I think listening to really good music helps the time go by faster when I work out.
Hi Kelly,
That’s a good tip. Personally, I find it depends on my mood, sometimes music distracts me more and it just gets annoying, at other times I really enjoy it.
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