My friend and client Al and I always have fun in the gym. He’s about to turn 90 and is active every day! Way back when not too long ago, people still took Sunday off from work, mainly for rest but also for fun- games, walks, a trip to the park, bike riding, naps on the couch, playing with the kids, maybe a hike, or heck, just sitting on the porch. Maybe it was the Internet, which I thought was a fad, or the smartphone, which I never realized would be what it is, but whatever it was, somewhere along the way we lost our way. We lost touch of what’s important, we lost touch of Sunday, and we lost touch of each other. We quit having fun, and everything became goal-oriented, task focused, and utilitarian.
It seems like we are now caught in a trap. Even when we aren’t working, we’re working. Even when we want to rest, we can’t rest. Even when we should be unplugged, we’re plugged. Even when we want to have fun, we can’t. Some days and some things should be just for fun, and nothing else. And every workout can be and should be fun. Even if just a little bit. If you’re not having fun when you’re exercising, why not? Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Have fun while you work out and you’ll stay motivated. I once saw two people arguing over a space in a Yoga class. I thought it was pretty comical. Imagine the irony of two women, decked out in expensive “yoga lifestyle” clothing, arguing about who will get what spot on the exercise Yoga floor, in a class that’s supposed to be about relaxation and mindfulness !
Here are some good ways to make your workouts more fun:
• Get your friends to work out with you.
• Build camaraderie in the gym.
• Make games out of your workouts.
• Turn off the phones, unplug and take out the ear phones so you’ll make more friends.
• Try new things. Learn new things.
• Have random workouts where you just go to the gym and do whatever you feel like doing, with no plan.
• Learn some jokes to share. People in the gym love jokes.
• Play a sport.
• Music can be a good motivator, although sometimes it’s nice when it’s quiet.
• Sometimes forget your goals and just do it for fun, and to feel good.
• Achieve your fitness goals, because it’s always fun to see progress.
For most of us, the bottom line up front is just to live an active lifestyle and be healthy. Even if you’re a serious athlete, you should still make time for fun. It’s good to have goals and to work hard. I do plenty of that and think you should too. There’s nothing like focusing and working hard to achieve something. When you train hard for something and then do it, you’ll have fun at the finish line. But nerve forget the fun factor. Enjoy the process, enjoy the ride. Today is the day to enjoy, just like every day !
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