Concrete Ways to Make Fitness FUN

No matter how 'gung ho' I think I am about my fitness routine, I always have lazy days. Here are some of the ways I've managed to keep with my routine by avoiding the doom that is boredom!

1. Change it up.

The moment I notice I'm "forcing" myself to exercise, I stop what I'm doing and tweak my routine. Schedules are important, but pointless if I don't allow them to evolve with my condition, both physical and mental. "Tweaking" could mean doing lat pulldowns instead of dumbell rows, a yoga video at home instead of hitting the gym, or running a different route. These days I'm doing a lot of running, and even something as simple as running my usual route in reverse is enough to keep me interested. The key is to recognize looming boredom and change it before the boredom leads to NO ACTION.

2. Don't feel guilty about taking an easy day.

I woke up this morning feeling pretty stiff due to yesterday's running and cycling. I was scheduled to run this morning but I didn't want to overtrain. Still, I didn't want to sit around. So instead of running, I walked my route around town lake, stopping in the middle to do some stretches. I also brought my camera with me and took a few photos along the way.

3. Workout with a friend.

Working out with other people is definitely a personal thing. I generally don't like to work out with other people because I like my 'me time', and because it's easier to be overly self conscious. Sometimes, however, comraderie is a great thing. It can give you that extra push when you need it. Last week I discovered that running with someone can be relaxing and fun. I went with a friend on a short run, about 2 miles, running slow enough so we could carry on a conversation. We didn't worry about how far we went, we just got lost in the discussion and the running just happened. In the end, it felt a whole lot better to catch up over a little sweat than a lot of beer.

4. Set goals

Write them down and hang them on the wall, somewhere I'll look ! Include goals that are un-related to fitness routine as well. Life is one big project! Don't set negative-type goals like "Don't eat chocolate" or "Don't email ex-boyfriend". Goals are things I WILL do instead of the counterproductive things.

I have a list of daily goals on my bedroom door:

- Exercise before work.
- Ride my bike to work.
- Eat 5-6 small meals.
- Bring my lunch to work (instead of eating out).
- Eat last meal 2 hours before bed time.
- Drink 8 glasses of water.
- Drink tea (instead of beer).
- Write down what I've done to further more goals.
- Go to bed by 11pm.

4. Make reward lists.

My rewards list:

- iTunes music
- shopping spree at the thrift store when my clothes get too loose
- Tea and Dark Chocolate after dinner on Sunday
- smoothie after a good run
- 30 minutes of TV after work
- Margherita after work on friday

Associate the rewards with a goal.

- For each mile I run I can download 1 song from the iTunes music store
- If I go on my run, I can have a smoothie afterwards.
- If I eat well with no slip-ups all week long, I'll have a Margherita (or 5!) at happy hour on Friday

Some people think that food should not be part of the rewards list. I, however, think that food is one of the best things on earth and definitely one of the best rewards there is. It feels good to enjoy a guilt-free dinner out or drink with friends, knowing I earned it. It's healthy to enjoy life, too. And sometimes that means enjoying indulgences! And food tastes so much better when it's been earned!

5. Enjoy guilt-free sugar after strenuous workouts.

Carbohydrates are key for glycogen recovery after a strenuous workout. Without proper fuel, exercise can do more harm than good! So it's perfectly okay to eat some high glycemic carbs immediately after a workout, preferably in liquid form. Many nutritionists claim that the ideal recovery "meal" consists of a carbohydrate, a protein, and a small amount of essential fats. I created a tofu smoothie to fit those needs, and it is soooo delicious and satisfying and taste soooo refreshing when I'm chuggin' it down after my run, sweat still flooding out of my pores! This article has more information on the science behind pre- and post-workout recovery nutrition.

6. Get out of the gym.

Get outside and breath some air. Ride a bike, rollerblade, take a walk. Go somewhere pretty.

7. Play a sport.

I first got into exercise when I joined an intramural soccer team with a bunch of fellow science geeks. None of us were particularly good at soccer, but we had fun anyway, running around like idiots, sweating like mad, and breaking into insane joy whenever anyone scored a goal. I also made loads of new friends, and there's no such thing as too many friends, especially friends who have at least one healthy diversion.

8. Learn how to cook

I'm no Julia Child, but it's fun coming up with nutritious creations. Sometimes they suck, but sometimes they're really really good. And it didn't take long to learn that eating well didn't mean sacrificing flavor. A great place to start is allrecipes.com.

Posted by monica at April 10, 2005 09:52 PM