Why exercise should be fun!

I have to admit, at certain points in my life, exercise was not fun. I think for a lot of people that is the case. Showing up to a gym every day at 6:00 am is definitely not my idea of fun. In fact, going to a gym in general sucks. It's filled with smelly people, stark equipment, annoying music... seriously, I don't want to listen to Demi Lovato (I'm just old, nothing against Demi), and a monthly payment. I'm going to share with you how I make something that really should be done, in some way, by everyone for your overall well being, more fun!

Ok, so here we go...

Find multiple things that you love to do. I say multiple because if you do the same thing every day, no matter how much you love it, you will get sick of it. Variety is the spice of life. Having multiple sports in your life is also good for working different muscles. If you run every day, your legs will get muscular but your arms will not. If you do yoga every day, which is definitely awesome on it's own, you don't be working on your cardiovascular system as much. Got it? So find some things you love to do. Think about all of the things you have ever come across in your life. There are so many options, which I will get into next.

Exercise does not have to be traditional. Again, like I said, you don't have to go to a gym, in fact, you never have to go inside a building. I live in Western Pennsylvania. We have 4 seasons. All of them offer plenty of opportunities for outdoor activity, even the super cold and snowy winters. I try to run all year round. I especially love getting out into the woods when the ground is covered in snow and a light snowfall is coming down. You have never seen anything so beautiful.

Yes it's cold, but the views!

Now, when there is too much snow to run, that's when things get really fun. We have snowboarding, cross country skiing, ice climbing, downhill skiing, and snowshoeing. The easiest thing to do as far as skill and investment would be to grab yourself a pair of snowshoes and find some woods.

Ice climbing

Snowboarding (Not in Pennsylavania, Colorado)

When winter is over, we move on to Spring. Spring is great for bike riding. Most places have a rails to trails which would offer the easiest way to get into bike riding. You park your car, grab your bike, and you can go miles and miles on these trails. Rails to trails, like the name suggests follow old railroad lines and are nice and flat. They are usually really scenic. Many of them also have history stopping points. You can look out for plaques set up along the trail and these make great stopping points to read about the history of the town or railroad surrounding you.

Now summer, summer offers the most options. You have trail running, road running, skateboarding, surfing, swimming, baseball, basketball, frisbee and so much more. When the weather is nice, it just makes you want to get outside. Even taking a simple walk and getting some sunshine and breathing in the fresh air will do you so much good.

Trail Running

Swimming in a river race

Surfing

So now that you have found a few different activities that you like or would like to try, what's next? Find some buddies. Do you have coworkers that want to walk or run at lunch time? A group of Moms that want to put together a basketball league while the Dads watch the kids? In your local neighborhood or city you can find tons of groups surrounding that activities that you like. They usually plan and host outings for people to get together and do the things they like. You can easily find these groups on facebook by typing in what you like to do in your area. Having people to join you in your endeavors makes things so much more fun, meaning you are more likely to do them. Groups or friends can also get you up and moving if you are feeling unmotivated. I have a group of running buddies and all it takes is a text from one of them to set up a Sunday morning run and I'm there. I know they are counting on me.

It's great to have activities that you like to do that cost very little money. Running is one of them for me. All I need is a pair of sneakers and I can pack them and take them anywhere. Some sports take more money, and that is fine too. If you are just getting into a sport, my suggestion is to buy your equipment used. Search out the local or online classifieds or ebay. For things like skiing, or biking, you can find tons of great gear, gently used at great prices. As you decide if you like the sport or activity you can start to upgrade and then sell your stuff as well.

So these are some of my top tips for getting into shape and making exercise fun! Let me know what you think and follow me for more tips @jodiegolier

These are my take anywhere tools, missing is my yoga mat. These things can go anywhere with you for a great workout!