Are Your Workouts Fun?

When was the last time you laughed while exercising? When was the last time you were excited to get up and move?

When we are children, movement is almost always playful and unstructured. Kids bounce around, they run in circles. Eventually they organize movement a little more in games of tag, frisbee, or capture the flag. Through college some people play sports which is still physical activity in the form of a game, even if people take it seriously.

But usually after college, workouts tend to become more standard. And while that can be great, it doesn’t entice everyone to get moving. Research shows that to be motivated to move we need exercise to be fun and novel. So when you are bored with your exercise routine or need motivation to get started, think like a kid.

How can you make movement more playful? Here are some ideas:

Balance

Whether alone or with someone else playing with balance can be functional and fun. You can simply balance on one leg. If you feel safe, try closing your eyes. Or you can balance on a tool like a balance disc, half foam roller, or BOSU. When I was a kid, I used to try to balance on a curb along my grandparent’s driveway like a balance beam. It was a fun challenge, especially to turn around at the end.

Ball Toss

You can go outside and have an actual toss with a glove and softball with someone even while you chat and you’ll be adding movement to your life. Or grab a beachball and tap it back and forth—counting how many times you can pass it without dropping the ball. You’ll be smiling in no time. This is not just a great way to add fun movement, it’s a great way to pull yourself out of a funk.

Fit as a Five-Year-Old

Tell any young kids they get to lead you. You’ll follow their movement. I can almost guarantee the moves will be unstructured and they will have you breathing heavy in no time. You’ll be working out without knowing it.

Dance

As a teenager did you ever put on music and dance in your room? Try that. My go to is Chubby Checker’s The Twist. It’s surprisingly long. Keep twisting for the duration. The music feels good and the movement is a great workout.

Physical Games

You can always grab some friend and go axe throwing, sledding, do some VR, or find a laser game. Years ago, across the street from the Alamo, I found a mission impossible game where you had to get across a room without hitting any lasers in the room. I was bending back, squatting, and doing planks to playfully get myself across the room. It was a great workout, and I didn’t even realize it.

Want to see some of these tips in motion? Check out the video below.
And remember, movement can be fun and often should be fun. We all need a little play in our lives.

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