5 Ways to Make Getting Fit Fun!
By finding intrinsic fun in your workout rather than fixating on the pounds you have to shave off (or the minutes you have left to go), you'll actually work out more effectively—and see better results! For me, fun is a long bike ride with my teammates, or a meditative early morning swim, but when the weather is crummy and I have to hit the gym, even a new playlist can psych me up. Want to start looking forward to your fit time? Try these ideas to make workouts feel like playouts!
Exercise alfresco
Simply getting off the treadmill and jogging around your neighborhood is likely to put a spring in your step. Research reveals that firming up outside is more of a confidence and mood booster than the equivalent activity indoors. Plus, moving in the fresh air makes you twice as likely to clock 30 minutes of exercise most days. Find a pretty, safe loop near you, use a smartphone app like RunKeeper or Cardio Trainer to map a course in your neighborhood, hike a new trail with a rewarding view, stop to do pull-ups from the monkey bars at the playground, hit the yard with your kids for a friendly game of touch football or do your yoga routine in your yard or the park.
Take a class
Don't like working out? No worries. You can try something completely different. Instead of paying for a gym membership you never use, put your money toward a class that will get your heart pumping, like sexy salsa, jazz, belly dancing or martial arts. Or try one of these new workouts inexpensively by using a DVD. If getting into the groove isn't your idea of a good time, try joining a team with a pal, like volleyball or softball. Even if you don't score a lot of points, you're bound to score sleek arms and have fun doing it.
Meet up with a buddy
Running or walking solo gives you needed thinking time, but if you're a more social type, it can get a bit, well, lonesome. No wonder you're 45 percent more likely to exercise if you pair up with a friend. Not only does the positive peer pressure of knowing that someone is laced up and waiting for you make you less inclined to hit Snooze, a little chitchat and laughter helps you push through the hills.
Create a sweat soundtrack
Music can be the driving force to help you fight through that last mile or distract you from your huffing and puffing. Some of my personal faves: Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Fergie. If you'd rather spend more time slimming down than crafting the perfect playlist, check out loads of great ideas on Self.com.
Be a do-gooder
I've found that working out for a cause (especially one near and dear to your heart) gives you a double dose of enjoyment. You reap the happiness boost of helping others and the satisfaction that comes from doing something "bigger" than yourself. That's why I love fund-raising each year at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's Cycle for Survival Spinning event, which raises money for research into rare cancers. I rallied the Spinners at work to join in, and we kept three bikes going, with a total of 13 people participating all day to help raise $2 million toward cancer research. Consider lending support to groups like Project Athena (which helps women sidelined by life-threatening illnesses achieve their fitness dreams) by training for your first marathon. Or join Team in Training to raise money to fight blood cancers, like leukemia, while you get coached to do your first half marathon, marathon or triathlon. At the finish line, you can honestly feel like it's a win-win!