COLUMN: Making exercise fun
Most people who start a new exercise program drop out within the first two to three months. However, you are much more likely to continue exercising for the rest of your life if you find an activity that you love. When you are just starting out, it may be hard to visualize how exercise could ever be fun, because now it just seems like plain hard work. But as you gain more endurance, meet like-minded people, develop your skills and start to pass a few people – instead of always being the last/slowest/least coordinated – you will start to see that exercise can be much more than a chore. Here are some tips for making your exercise program more enjoyable:
ADD MUSIC Many people enjoy aerobic dancing or spinning classes because of the lively music. Moving to your favorite sound is much more inspiring than silence. Almost any sport can be performed with music.
ADD PEOPLE Find an exercise partner or a class to go to, or go to the Fieldhouse or Wellness Center. Sign up for a PE fitness class or get involved with Fun, Fit, Forever through campus recreation (check out the Web site at www.usu.edu/camprec/rip/). Join the USU Aggie Walking Club through the Employee Wellness Program (www.usu.edu/wellness), meet new people, and earn a T-shirt. You are much more likely to continue your program if it’s a sociable time and other people count on your participation.
GO PLACES Exercise indoors when you must, but on beautiful days, take your exercise outside and enjoy the scenery at the same time. Use your activity as an excuse to explore your area’s parks, monuments, historic spots and natural beauty. Go on a weekend tour or vacation with others in your sport. Walk or bike to school or work (and save on gas money). Or just breathe the fresh air on a walk in your neighborhood at the end of a long day. You’ll feel refreshed. Really.
MIX IT UP Don’t do the exact same exercise routine every day; mix it up. If you always run on the treadmill, run outside on a nice day. Take a week off your lifting routine and do a Pilates class instead. As soon as you feel your exercise routine becoming a rut, find something else to do. Our new Jazzercise classes will really make you smile.
REWARD YOURSELF When you finish a particularly vigorous session, get a massage, or sit in a whirlpool or sauna. Go out for a healthy Be Well lunch at The Hub with your exercise partner. Treat yourself to a new Pedometer, iPod or a SCUBA lesson. Set goals and plan special rewards for yourself when you reach them. Exercise is one of the pillars of longevity. It improves heart health, helps with weight management, leads to better sleep, improved mood, more energy and much more. A life of health is a lot more fun than a life of chronic illness and disease (diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease). Through exercise, you’ll stay healthy longer, age well and feel great. USU is here to help you on your exercise journey.
Dayna Barrett is the HPER graduate assistant in Corporate Wellness. She coordinates fitness assessments and classes as part of the Employee Wellness Program. She was a track and field athlete at USU and is now a contributor to the Be Well health column.