10 Tips For Making Fitness Fun

Is it possible to make fitness fun?  I think that depends on whether or not you want to have fun.  Let’s face it, if you’re not enjoying your workout, you’re going to find excuses not to do it.  But working out doesn’t have to be a drag, we all have the power to make our workouts fun.   It’s a choice, if you want to make your workout more fun and exciting, take some time to think about ways you can do that.

Thankfully, we are all wonderfully different, and what’s fun for me, might not be fun to you.  That’s why the smartest way to make fitness fun, is to make it your own.  If you love the outdoors and wonder why you hate your time on the treadmill, maybe you should try taking a walk on the beach or in a park instead.  Do you hate to workout because it’s the only time during the day you can catch-up on your favorite television shows?  Well, instead of being a couch potato, get a piece of exercise equipment that you can put in front of the television.  Watch your shows and burn calories at the same time.

What ever reason you have for not being able to enjoy your workout, take some time to think of ways to make it more fun for yourself.  Here are some tips I have for making fitness fun…

1.  Get a Workout Buddy —  Most things are more fun when we do it with a friend, and the same is true for working out.  Rather than working out on your own, try getting one or more friends together.  Not only is it more fun, but it’s also a built-in support system.

*If you’re having trouble finding a workout buddy, don’t give up.  Try , Meetup, or another social networking site.

2.  Play some Music and Get Dancin’ — Whether you dance in the privacy of your own home or go out to a club, dancing is a great .  And if you’re feeling really adventurous, you could even try taking a dance class (also a great place to meet a workout buddy).

3.  Change it Up —  Variety is the spice of life.  With that in mind, try something new.  If you normally workout inside, try something outside.  Maybe try a new fitness class.  Have you considered or pole dancing?  Maybe kickboxing or a 5K run?  If you’re a wanna be exhibitionist, you could even consider .  There are endless possibilities.

4.  Kick it Up a Notch — Do you already enjoy your workout?  If so, kick it up a notch.  Go longer.  Go faster.  Change up your location.  Add some music.  Add some friends.

5.  Get the Kids Involved —  Have a family fitness day (at least) once a week.  Take time with the whole family to plan activities ahead and mark them on your calender.  Make sure you give every family member an opportunity to choose a fun fitness activity.   Not only does this make fitness fun, but it also gives you some quality family time.

6.  Make Short-Term Fitness Goals and then Reward Yourself — I think we make a mistake when we focus on too many long-term goals.  Instead, try one long-term goal sprinkled with many short-term goals.  When we make short-term goals we have more opportunities to feel good about our progress, and stay motivated to reach our long-term goal.  And don’t forget to reward yourself with something special after reaching each of your short-term goals.

7.  Get Yourself a Fun Fitness Gadget — There is certainly no shortage of fitness gadgets out there.  Tweek your fitness fun with a fitness iPhone app, a GPS wrist watch, a pedometer, or maybe the Wii Fit.  [I really want to get the Wii Fit at some point, it looks like tons of fun.]

8.  Start a Fitness Blog — You could start a simple blog that chronicles your workouts.  Or you could kick it up a notch, and blog about a new fitness activity every week.  It’s your blog, do it your way.  It’s fun and it keeps you accountable.

9.  Join the Choose You Movement — This is a great program sponsored by the American Cancer Society to help us keep our healthy living commitments to ourselves.  And they even have one specifically for Getting Active.  It’s a fun way to get active and keep yourself motivated.  I’m blogging about my Choose You commitments weekly on the Choose You Blog.

10.  Plan a Fun Fitness Get-A-Way — It doesn’t matter if you go by yourself, with your family, or a few girlfriends, it’s what you do that matters.  Plan a weekend (or more) get-a-way that focuses on healthy living and getting fit.  The sky’s the limit.  Dream it, plan it, do it.

So those are my ideas.  What about you…How do you make fitness fun?  Let us know in comments.