When was the last time you went to the gym? Or had that refreshing morning or evening exercise that was supposed to be a regular part of your day? Be honest, don’t lie. It was fun, wasn’t it? Perhaps I’m exaggerating.
Or – are you one of those ‘lucky’ folks who stylishly destroy the essence of regular exercise in the first instance? Because you make a beeline towards the snack bar or nearest kitchen after a workout. And all to achieve one thing – wolf down several calories of forbidden sugar and treats! Whoa!!
You need to understand the importance or benefits of exercise deep enough to prevent yourself from wasting your time and effort. Or getting tired of the entire routine. You can actually turn that exercise into a fun sport. It is very possible as we shall soon see.
It might take a lot of self-motivation to maintain a repetitive routine of exercise. And you know too well it is good for your body. But after a while it could get boring and feel like a forced activity – something like taking a bitter pill. Then you start skipping your workouts. And gradually you relapse into deliberate forgetfulness. But no, exercises should not feel strenuous or burdensome. Exercise is way too important to be ignored. So here are tips to inject fun into your exercise routines and lighten up a little.
Importance of Exercise
Arlene Semenco in her web article titled The Top 10 Benefits of Regular Exercise (Healthline website, 2023) stated that exercise is “any movement that makes your muscles work and requires your body to burn calories.” Exercise is a ‘physical activity’ that can be repeatedly done to tone the muscles and improve blood circulation around the body as well.
That indicates that there are other forms of physical activity that can be as equally effective as regular exercise. Or rather – they are actually forms of exercise as well. They include swimming, jogging, trekking, dancing, sports and rope-skipping, to mention the common ones.
What are the benefits of doing regular exercise? Does scientific research even support regular exercise for the body? And – is it only our bodies that are impacted by regular exercise?
The health benefits of exercise may not appear in a few weeks by merely checking your physical appearance in a mirror. However, some of its effect comes almost immediately. Various health and fitness experts have collectively pointed out more than 20 benefits of undertaking regular exercise to the body and mind. And after many years of research and observation, regular exercise was found to perform the wonders below (the list is not exhaustive):
Benefits of Regular Exercise
- Definite weight control. Exercise can help you to shed excess fat. That is, if you can discipline yourself not to frequently indulge in junk food or fatty, high-cholesterol diets.
- You experience improved quality of sleep.
- It boosts your energy level. You feel more energized after each workout.
- It lowers your blood pressure.
- It improves your overall mood.
- It slows down degenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia
- It refreshes your skin
- It helps you to have a good body posture
- It reduces chronic pain
- It can seriously reduce stress
- It builds up the bones and joints to become stronger
- It can improve your fertility
- It promotes a healthy heart
- It makes the body more flexible and less prone to injury
- It extends your lifespan
- It helps you to spend less on healthcare in the future
- It contributes to better eyesight.
- It helps you to think more clearly and be creative.
Also Read- 5 Easy and Healthy Nigerian Dinner Recipes for a Busy Week
Tips on How to Make Exercise Fun
Not convinced yet? I’m sure with the above reasons, you will agree with me that truly exercise is important for you. So – here are a few ideas to turn your regular exercise into an exciting fun ride you can look forward to. And make it feel less cumbersome.
- Team up with friends: You can pair up with a friend or two to go to the gym with, and even chat along.
- Fitness Classes can be Fun: It is equally good to join local fitness groups. Along the way, you get to interact with people. You can join dancing, aerobics, yoga, martial arts, golf classes /teams and thoroughly enjoy yourself while making friends.
- Give Yourself a Reward: After a good workout, give yourself a refreshing snack. A tasty fruit, salad, smoothie, nuts, something healthy. You might even save a small amount every week towards getting yourself a gift, or taking yourself out.
- More Music, Please: Nothing stops you from turning up your favorite music while doing exercise. You can create your own music playlist or get a suitable collection of songs and indulge in them. Turn up that speaker, phone, CD player or other media and make every moment enjoyable.
- Fitness Videos can Ginger You up at Home: Rather than work out at a gym, you can stay indoors and play a fitness video while you train along.
- Make TV your Exercise Companion: Don’t be lazy, friend. Kill two birds with one stone! While you watch that exciting TV show in the evening or during weekends, do some exercise. It works quite well with a cycle machine or some other indoor fitness machine.
- Unconscious Exercises – Try them! There are a number of physical activities you can do to burn some calories, albeit in a lazy way. Nevertheless, they are cool ideas. Do some house chores, go shopping, tend to the garden. And get all the fun doing them.
Download Fitness Apps: Fitness apps can be great companions on your phone. They help you to check on yourself regularly by giving reminders. These apps remind you to stick to a good health regime – do regular exercise, watch what you consume, give you valuable advice on maintaining your health in general. And there are loads of them available to download.
- Embark on some Outdoor Activity: If you are averse to going to a gym (for whatever reason, it’s your choice) then get active outdoors. Ride a bike, take a stroll, learn to swim, go to the beach. Do some skiing, skating, climbing (be careful) and enjoy natural fresh air and some sun.
Go on a Fitness/Sport Vacation or Outing: You can replace the typical getaway or holiday with a sporting vacation. Or even attend a fitness (or volunteering) event around you. It could be a walkathon, a neighborhood cleanup event, a tennis or soccer meetup.
- Use the Staircase: Climbing up a staircase can get your heart pumping and work on your leg muscles as well. It’s a great exercise where that option is available. It definitely works at home!!
Learn a Musical Instrument:
You may have noticed that playing musical instruments requires exerting some energy. Watch the person playing a saxophone, a trumpet, drums, even a guitar and you can see it without being told. It’s definitely fun and exercise all rolled into one. You can do that as well.
Indulge in Some Kid Fun Games:
Go get the hula hoop you loved to swing as a child, or the skipping rope, or bounce on a trampoline. Or throw a Frisbee. Go down a slide. If you are good at parkour, try it.
