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. […]
