How to Make Fitness Enjoyable

Finding and making fitness enjoyable is easier than you might think. Most people are very shocked when they find out that I’m a fitness coach/strength coach/personal trainer/ fitness professional and I really don’t like being in the gym working out.

Inevitably the very next question they ask is, “You must really hate your job, huh?”.

Again they are surprised to know that I love it! You may be asking yourselves how these two things can coincide.

My answer is also the secret to successful weight management, and enjoying a healthy lifestyle of fitness and well-being.

Many people mistakenly believe that going to the gym and being a masters athlete-enjoying outdoor activities/sports have to be mutually exclusive. That is not the case. They compliment each other, or should. Each thrives off of each other. In fact, as you age, you NEED to put time in the gym to avoid overuse injuries that plague older adults.

I’ve found time and again that if you give someone a sporting implement (a ball in their hands or at their feet for example) and enjoyment skyrockets-even if that person hasn’t played that activity before. There’s a magic in discovering a new activity both in your brain and in your level of perceived exertion. Both of these are critical factors to consider for masters athletes and in senior fitness.

So how do you find a balance?

Here’s 2 easy things you can do to make fitness enjoyable and a more palatable aspect of a healthy lifestyle.

Find some activity you enjoy doing

It’s really as simple as that. If you don’t enjoy running, then chances are REALLY HIGH you won’t be a consistent runner because you don’t love it. In fact, you may dread running so badly you make up every excuse in the book to not go do it. And all this time you look at those people running and smiling and talking about how much fun it is and think, “That person is CRAZY”.

I know & train SO many people/clients that get caught up in this trap of forcing themselves to do some activity/sport they hate. It just doesn’t work. If running isn’t your thing, try something else, be it cycling, rowing, swimming, or even Zumba.

Remember-you may not LOVE something the first couple times you do it. But ask yourself, “Is this something I could see myself doing long-term?”

You’ve got to supplement…your activity

If you want to stay injury-free as you age and do your activity better, then spending time in the gym will definitely help. You can build strength, prevent common over-use injuries, as well as prevent and reverse ailments like sarcopenia and osteoporosis.

It’s also a great way to stay motivated while at the gym. I live in a place that doesn’t really make it possible to do all the wonderful outdoor things that I love doing year-round. In the ‘off-season’ I can hit the gym and not lose a step when spring/summer rolls around. That’s why I train hard in the gym, because I love doing my activities and sports and want to feel good when I get a chance to do them and not feel like I’m sucking air, or like I’m the slowest one out there. This is what is required when you become a masters athlete.

Your homework: find some new activity or sport and give it a try. Become a masters athlete!

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