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Aug 31, 2021

MORE THAN ONE WAY……

So many people (including myself), do not enjoy exercise.  There are many people who actually hate it.  The key to successful exercise and the key to continuing with working out, is finding a fun way to do it and to actually cause yourself to like it.  Finding ways to exercise in a way that is exciting and is actually FUN helps you reach your goals.

Here are 10 ways you can make your workouts and times of exercise FUN:

  1. Get an accountability partner.  Your accountability partner can help you along the way and you can help them.  More than likely, you will end up talking with them during your workouts and may even develop a bond.  Your bond may lead to doing more things together like going out to dinner during your non-workout times.
  2. Host a dance party. Dancing is a form of cardio and releases toxins just like any other exercise.  You can dance alone and mix it up all by yourself or try hosting a party with some friends and groove to your favorite tunes while getting in some fun exercise.
  3. Create your own workout. There are many apps out there that allow you to create your own workout routines.  You can create multiple routines so that boredom does not set in.
  4. Hiking has become very popular. The great outdoors is a wonderful way to get in tune with nature.  Check out H.O.E. (Happiness Over Everything) Hiking Group on Facebook if you’ve wanted to tap in to your outdoor side and take on a trail.
  5. Jump that rope! Remember jumping rope in gym class as a teenager?  Well jumping rope is a great aerobic exercise and gets your heart rate up in no time.
  6. The internet and social media will have you thinking that you have to do those difficult looking yoga poses in order to participate in yoga.  Think again.  You can start with easy yoga poses and tailor them to your abilities.
  7. Make date night an active night. We are accustomed to going out to dinner or dinner and a movie when we schedule a date night.  Let’s face it – dinner and a movie involves a lot of sitting.  Communicate to your partner that you would like to incorporate activity in your date nights.  This is an opportunity to explore outdoor ground in your neighborhood, your city, your world.
  8. Plant flowers or incorporate yard work. Motion is good for your body!  Why not beautify your yard at the same time!
  9. Active games night. Games do not always have to be the ones where you sit around all night.  Work some active games into your night.  Remember Twister?  Remember charades?  Bring those active games back to life!
  10. Bike riding. Bikes are some of the best active fun you can have outside.  If you haven’t ridden a bike since childhood, start off slow on an easy bike with maybe someone to monitor you as you begin to get back in the groove.  Grow your confidence slowly and enjoy the ride!

Less than 5 percent of adults actually participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day.  Incorporate fun ways to exercise and do not fall into that percentile of people that do not get in their exercise.

You may have started the year, or the month with well-intentioned plans to exercise daily, but working out became a problem when, for many of us, it became boring and repetitive.

Whether you have five minutes or five hours, mix up your routine.  Finding new ways to workout becomes exciting and you’ll start looking for even more new ways!  If you run out of ideas, Google ideas for new workout ideas and stick to them.  Remember … there’s more than one way!

By: Eden Barbee-Mabry / (@gardenonthegram – IG/ @EdenJBe – Twitter)
Eden Barbee-Mabry is an Education Support Analyst with the State of Georgia. Eden is a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan and was led to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia after graduating from Clark Atlanta University in 1988. Eden joined Black Girls Run! in Spring of 2016 and graduated from the Walk B4 You Run program in June of 2016 and is currently Run Lead for the Fairburn, Georgia group. Eden is a purse lover and strives to inspire every woman because her belief is that although the circumstances may be different, every woman can extract strength from another woman’s story.