Remember when you were a child and running around the playground, swimming
in the community pool, or building a sand castle was fun? Little did you
know you were not only having fun, but getting a workout too. With all the
challenges we face on a daily basis; caring for our loved-ones, working
and cleaning, imagine putting more fun back into your life through
exercise. It wouldn’t seem like another task on our “to do” list, it
would feel more like play time, but with health benefits. Right now,
sitting in your living room with a tub of Hagan Daaz and watching your
favorite prime time drama may be your way of relaxing, only to feel guilty
later for consuming a the pint of ice cream. Well, relax and have fun
minus the guilt by engaging in your favorite physical activity.
First, you need to change the way you think about exercising. Believe
that it can be an exhilarating, adventurous, and energy-boosting
experience, not to be taken for granted. Next, acknowledge the fact, you
deserve to celebrate life with a fun-filled work out. It’s a chance for
you to care for you physically, emotionally and mentally. Also, when you
are through having fun (a.k.a. exercising) reflect upon how good it made
you feel and make a conscience effort to remember that feeling, it will
help you stay motivated. Lastly and most importantly, take the stress out
of exercising. You don’t have to break any records, win a gold medal and
loose 25-pounds by the end of the workout, just have FUN. Here are some
ideas to help you start enjoying yourself while exercising.
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Go for a leisurely walk with a good friend you rarely get to see.
This idea is often suggested but rarely implemented so remember now
you have different motives, to have fun not burn calories.
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Try a physical activity you’ve never tried before or haven’t
done in a long time. How about ballroom dancing or yoga? There are
usually studios in every city at various price and time ranges. A good
idea is to call around for quotes.
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Teach your children a new sport like kickball, baseball or Frisbee.
An active parent yields active children so be a shining example.
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Go on an exploration to a place you’ve never been. Get all geared
up with hiking boots, water bottle and bug spray. Put all your
adventure needs in a backpack and off you go. It could be a place near
your home or 20 minutes away that you’ve been wanting to see. Maybe
it’s a beautiful tree lined neighborhood or a neat historical park
laced with raccoons and squirrels. Go ahead and choose, be
adventurous.
One of the biggest complaints about exercising is lack of time and
energy. Well, all you need to do is get through the door. By taking the
stress out of exercising and putting back in the fun, you have laid the
foundation of a completely new way of working out. Just go out and have
fun. It doesn’t matter for how long or what you do. Start by skipping
back and forth from your car to the front door three times or chasing your
dog around the yard for five minutes whatever you feel compelled to do.
When you were a child, you didn’t think about the reason why you kept
jumping on and off a log or pretended to be a black belt in karate while
torturing your younger brother, you simply did it and that’s having fun.
Barbara Collins, an office administrator, admits to playing her favorite
old time records, opening all the windows and dancing around while she
cleans her house. She says, “It’s fun.” And that’s the whole idea!
Log onto www.caregiver.com and post a fun workout idea you’ve tried
for other caregivers to try, you might even learn a fun new workout for
yourself.
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