4 Ways to Make Fitness Fun & Interactive

Exercising can get old — fast. The secret to preventing your workouts from becoming a chore and achieving your goals is to have fun. Exercise is a huge commitment during your journey towards a healthier lifestyle, so it’s important to stay engaged to ensure you stay motivated.

Here are four ways to rekindle your excitement and positivity towards working out:

Stop going to the gym

Okay, not literally. Your gym membership will still come in handy; the equipment and social interaction alone make it worthwhile to continue going. We’re just suggesting you start working “jungle” back into the gym to kick things up, and spice up your weekly workouts. A scenic jog through a trail or local park is so much more engaging and energizing than the monotonously painted walls of your gym.

Not to mention, you no longer have to inhale the noxious sweat and odd odors of other people in the room. After being in the gym for so long, you’ll find the breath of fresh air to be quite therapeutic, and just 20 minutes of it will give you as much of an energy boost as a cup of coffee.

Entertain the pain

Music is the best kind of distraction that will make you less aware of the exertion in your workouts. Research suggests that music helps athletic performance benefits of up to 15 percent. On a particularly difficult last lap, or cloudy day when you want to be doing anything but exercising, that one go-to song of yours can be enough to get your brain stimulated and body moving!

If music is not enough to keep your mind stimulated during a workout, try overloading your other senses by watching television, phoning a friend, reading a book, or even 2 giving yourself a loud pep talk when you need it most! Some marathoners use objects to distract themselves, such as placing tape on their sleeve and removing strips after every mile marker. Find what works for you!

The floor is lava

Place the thought of exercising in a better light by playing games, as you get fit! Video games on consoles such as the Wii simulate real sports and start you off easy while you build confidence. There are also phone apps such as Zombies, Run! that add an interactive spin to your workouts by assigning missions and sending you on a run to complete a task. It’s almost like gaining all the benefits of exercising, without exercising!

Food for mood

Along with making your workouts fun, it’s important to make the entirety of your journey enjoyable and that includes mealtimes. There are plenty of foods that are scientifically proven to brighten your mood such as fish, coconut, and chocolate.

However, what you’re consuming is often not the issue. It’s the tasks such as meal tracking that make eating right as much of a chore as exercising, turning self-improvement plans upside-down. There are, however, solutions for overcoming these obstacles and making your goals of a healthier lifestyle a whole lot simpler.

Check out the SmartPlate mailing list for additional information on how to better serve your future!