Posts Tagged ‘fun’

Exercise can be fun

Saturday, May 1st, 2010
by shankins | No Comments »

My husband and I have different needs for social interaction. This affects how we approach many things in life, even how we exercise. I like to turn my Ipod on and just go for a run. It is good stress relief for me; I am by myself and I don’t think about anything, I just move my legs. My husband likes to play a game of Ultimate Frisbee or volleyball with his friends, or go swing dancing, or rock climbing, etc. We joke with each other because I’m often trying to get him to join the gym with me and he always says no because it’s not fun. I tell him that it’s exercise, it doesn’t have to be fun! But at the end of the day we have both had some good physical activity and are healthier for it.

The problem most of us have with exercise is the lack of motivation. There is no quick fix, no miracle pill/diet, no amount of support underwear to fix the problem. We just have to incorporate some movement into our day, and we don’t have to make it difficult. A good way to get in a great workout in a short amount of time is to do some interval workouts. There was a recent fitness study done that shows that doing intervals increases the calories you burn by 30% over working out at one pace. You can do this by going for a jog and walking for 2 minutes then jogging for 2 minutes, and continuing this for the duration while you are out. You can do this for running, biking, swimming, while pushing the stroller, etc. For some more inspiration check out No Excuses Workouts.

So whether you are a gym junkie or just enjoy some fresh air while walking to your mailbox, remember that all movement is beneficial. And if you listen to my husband, we might as well make it fun while we are at it.

Play

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
by David Dahlin | No Comments »

Do you play? I mean really play. Not doing something useful like “spending time with the kids” or “exercising” or “learning a new skill.” I mean play. Just having fun. Losing track of time in something that you do just for the sheer fun of it. Most of us have nearly lost this ability in our scramble to keep pace with our obligations.

I’m reading a great book on Sabbath by Mark Buchanan (The Rest of God). He provides a liberating view of what has often been interpreted as a “no fun” rule and turns it on its head. The idea is that we work and work and work at least 6 days a week. So one day a week we should just have fun! That is rest for us. Doing things that bring no added value.

We need to get back to playing. Playing makes us more alive. It makes us glad we are alive. It makes the rest of the striving that we do worth something. I think playing makes us more spiritual. It wakes up our spirit and strengthens our spirit.

So, when is the last time you played for a day? Not an hour. Not two. A whole day? What if you had a whole day every week to play? Would that change your life? It’s changing mine. A 1010 life is not about working to our fullest but living to our fullest. So live a little. Play a little.

No, play a lot!

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