The experts have come to a consensus: regular physical activity is not only a good habit, but a necessary one. You don’t have to train for a marathon to experience the health benefits of being active. But making the effort to add some fundamental exercise into your weekly routine should be a priority.
The world of “working out” can be daunting, especially if you have limited experience, but the fact is that humans need to be physically engaged. According to the CDC, prolonged periods of physical inactivity may contribute to sleep disorders, mental fatigue, high blood pressure, and more serious ailments. On the other hand, the Mayo Clinic reports that regular exercise—even of the more casual variety—can help you maintain a healthy weight, avoid heart problems, combat depression and significantly reduce stress, and even boost your immune system!
So, if medical science clearly shows the importance of physical activity, the question that remains is: how can people motivate themselves to do more exercise? If being active just feels like doing another chore, you’re likely to have trouble staying consistent. Think about how many people struggle to maintain healthy habits, like daily flossing, that seem squarely in the camp of “maintenance.” Self-care efforts that don’t have an element of fun, self-expression, or socialization are tricky to stick with.
The answer is to make your physical activity something you look forward to, something that enriches your life beyond the health benefits. Check out these simple hacks that will help make exercise not only routine, but rewarding.
1. Try something completely different
If you’ve gone the typical workout route before and found it lacking fun, it could be worthwhile to broaden your horizons. Think about some awesome activities that would be a reward in and of themselves, and which also happen to require some healthy physical exertion.
For example, you could try dragon boating, an ancient Chinese variation of rowing in long boats with 18 to 20 teammates. Dragon boating dates back more than 2000 years and continues to grow more popular as a form of recreation and camaraderie. It blends the best of experiential socialization (a fancy term for doing interactive stuff with others) and motivational group exercise. Find a group like Puff Dragon Boat Racing Team – Miami, get out on the water, and paddle your way to peak fitness!
If you’re looking for an outside-the-box activity that’s just as fun and social, but a little more low-key and with a lower barrier to entry, you should consider pickleball. The fastest-growing sport in the nation, pickleball has millions of avid practitioners across the United States. People started flocking to makeshift pickleball courts at tennis venues, but these days dedicated pickleball courts are popping up all over, with groups as far apart as Denver Pickleball – 20s, 30s, and 40s and the Cambridge Pickleball Meetup Group. Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong, using a plastic ball and a simple paddle on a much smaller court area than tennis. It’s a great option for casual players or anyone with limited mobility who still wants to get active.
2. Use exercise as an opportunity for discovery
Get something deeper out of your workout time by exploring while you exercise.
For example, if you like to jog or bike, you could shake things up by venturing out into new neighborhoods. Enjoy interesting sights and scenes, and make a little game out of mapping your city one workout at a time. The same goes for hiking—make the effort to journey on new trails and routes, and you’ll soon find that working out is really just the fuel for your sense of adventure.
If you can’t explore new places, there are still plenty of opportunities for discovery while you exercise. It’s great to have a favorite playlist or podcast to listen to during workouts, but with enough repetition, these things can just become background noise. Set a goal to try, for example, one workout a week where you listen to an album you’ve never heard before, from start to finish. Or use that exploration day to listen to an educational podcast, maybe one for language learners. In a few months, you’ll be more fit and more fluent!
3. Reward yourself
You’re probably not trying to become a professional athlete—it’s okay to treat yourself every once in a while after a good workout. As long as you do it in moderation, little rewards can actually be one of the best parts of having an exercise routine.
For example, if you go for a run three mornings every week, you could draw that third route to wind up outside your favorite bagel spot. But your reward doesn’t have to be food-based—you could treat yourself to a lazy Sunday where you just lounge around and do nothing. Because you’ve been working hard on your exercise commitment, you won’t have to feel guilty for taking one day off from real life.
4. Find your crew
Not only can it be hard to motivate yourself to exercise on your own, but it can also get lonely. Once you establish good habits, you might find yourself working out alone several times per week, for several hours at a time.
Now imagine if you spent some of that time connecting with new friends who share your goals and interests. Communities like the Active Houston Runners and the Tennessee Hiking Group exist to bring together people who value both physical and mental wellness. Making friends who keep you healthy is one of those gifts that keeps on giving.
If you don’t see an active community in your area, you can easily create your own Meetup group and invite others to join you.
Last modified on January 2, 2024
