Monday, August 24, 2009

Exercise can be fun!

Some people just hate to exercise. They dont like to sweat and they prefer to invest their money in slimming centers. These people do not think exercise is fun. To me, exercising the body can be fun if you have the right attitute. Our mind is a very powerful tool and we can use it to our advantage or vice versa. It can make you sick, it can make you well, it can make you believe anything. Use your mind to your advantage, maintain control over it not the other way round. One must open one's mind and release all preconceived ideas about exercise. If you honestly want exercise to be fun and allow it to be, it will be. If you tell your mind you enjoy exercising, you are likely to do it more often, which will result in a better health!


Here are some ideas i can think of to help make exercise more fun and interesting:


  • Workout with friends or family. You can challenge each other, crack jokes and make each other laugh in the middle of a workout or just simply enjoy each other's company.
  • Do something different. If you go to the gym/studio every day and use the same piece of equipment, try mixing your routine up. Try also different aerobic workouts eg
  • step aerobics, latino , kickboxing or probably get your instructor to do aqua aerobics once a month!
  • Go to a park with playground equipment. Go to your local parks eg Tasik Bdr Titiwangsa or Taman Tasik Permaisuri to name a few. Use the slide, the monkey bars or the jungle gym to climb on, do pull-ups, hang from your hands, your knees, and use your imagination. You don’t have to have a rigid routine, just get out there and work your muscles. Run, play. Get your loved ones to walk with you and enjoy the scenery while walking. Spend good quality time with your loved ones while exercising. You'll be surprised, they might enjoy it so much that they want it to be a weekly affair.
  • Play a competitive sport. Netball would bring memories during school days, hockey, volleyball, tennis, football etc might also do the trick

  • Do an outdoor circuit. You can probably try the beach if you are staying near one. You can do a combination of running, walking, push-ups, pull-ups and abdominal exercises. Pick a distance such as 100 meters, run the distance then drop and do 10 pushups, continue with the same distance and run then drop and do abs, now walk and do another 10 pushups.

  • Enjoy a solitary activity. Cycling, walk, yoga or just a simple stretch on the beach/park or at your taman perumahan is an excellent way to exercise your body and spirit.

  • Picture your muscles (this is important even if you DO enjoy exercising) Studies have shown that if you focus your mind on the muscles you are working, they will respond better. Visualize what the muscle groups look like and try to see them working; contracting and relaxing.

  • Listen to music.( a plus in group fitness classess) It can make what you’re doing more enjoyable when you’re lost in music. Music can really change your mood esp with songs that you can relate to. I will always check on the age group of my class and try to accomodate them with songs i think they will enjoy listening to.

5 comments:

  1. Yes exercise can be fun. In fact much more fun than the work i do to earn a living (a tad boring)..hehe..talk about being a fitness freak who enjoys spin, rpm & body pump.

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  2. kudos to you and i tot i am the only fitness geek around! ahaks
    ive been around since the 80's, bet u've not even born yet.

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  3. It was yonks ago but if my memories serve me well I was a fifth former, then went to college and uni. The good ole days but was only introduced to group fitness in 2001 in centrepoint oneutama and have never stopped since then.

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  4. my posting 02/22 - 03/01 : Those were the days and 03/01-03/15 In the 90's me..mo..ries were moments i cherished. wearing skimpy shorts and only sports bra. bet you did too. ( the photos are not meant to be published.)

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  5. i went for a bodypump course in Bangkok many years ago organised by Nike.Had fun and aches but did try out the class in shah alam. couldnt get enough participant to do it. most ladies prefer the typical group fitness classess. stop since. RPM is exhausting and fun but not my cuppa tea.Tabek spring to you

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