Working out: You either love it or hate it. For some, exercising is a way to relieve stress and it’s even enjoyable sometimes. To others, the word “exercise” brings about feelings of misery and dread. I see both sides of it. Some days I love going for a run or taking a spin class. Other days I feel like I’m glued to my couch and getting up to workout would be harder than hiking Mt. Everest.
Motivation is key in getting yourself to workout. Personally, when I think about exercising, I picture running on the treadmill or lifting weights in a cold, dark gym, which by no means makes me want to go. Luckily, I have found fun, enjoyable ways to get a good workout in without actually dreading it!
1. Go on a walk.
Who needs running? This may seem like exercise, but who dreads taking a nice walk on the beach or around a lake? You can make it a casual low intensity walk or turn up the heat and the calorie-burning with a power walk. Grab a friend and some music and you won’t even feel like you're exercising!
2. Dancing.
Dancing is great exercise. Make a fun playlist and just rock out to it in your kitchen, or get a group of friends and find a cool club to go to. You won’t even realize how much you're moving and burning a sweat when you dance. Also try a Zumba class! A workout class that you won’t dread and you even might learn some new dance moves. You’ll have a great time and get a great workout in.
3. Rock climbing.
Climbing is all strength. If you have no upper body strength, who cares? The nice thing is you're attached to a harness to help you up the wall. Rock climbing will build great upper body strength. Get a group of friends, go to a rock climbing gym and make a day out of it.
4. Hiking.
Similar to walking, just harder! Hiking is a good way to get outdoors and explore a new place. The awesome thing about hiking is that you can go at your own pace, take breaks when you want and go with whomever you want. Get a group of friends and hike to the top of a mountain and have a picnic (or even a glass of wine to reward yourself).
5. Kayaking/paddle boarding.
Kayaking or paddle boarding is a great upper body workout. The continuous motion of your arms paddling will give you a killer arm workout. The nice thing about kayaking is that you're outside on a lake or pond and can get a nice tan. Grab a friend and a speaker, and spend a day on the water.
Exercising does not have to be dreaded and stressed about. It can actually be fun and enjoyable. The key is to ditch the traditional gym and find something new and different, but still active!
