Making Exercise Fun - Yes, it’s Possible!

I can't tell you how many people I've encountered over the years that simply "dread" going to the gym. Judging by the looks on their faces you would think that they were being tortured. It doesn't matter if the person has been going to the gym for years or if they've just started; there are just some people who absolutely cannot get motivated. What they don't realize is that they are actually making things much worse for themselves by having a negative attitude. These people look at going to the gym as a task or as "something that they just have to get through". Looking at it in that light would definitely make me not want to go to the gym. It's really the attitude and the frame of mind of the person that will determine what their gym experience will be like.

I'm not going to lie to you; exercise is hard work. So is eating healthy. But in my opinion, they are both necessities of life. It's very easy to take the easy way out and not exercise and not eat right, but then of course our health starts to suffer. Is it worth it? I believe that proper nutrition and exercise are not just important but vital in our everyday lives. So doesn't it make more sense to try to have fun with it? It sure beats dreading going to the gym every time. Having the right attitude can indeed make exercise fun and much more productive at the same time. In this article I'm going to cover the following ideas:

1. Looking at the benefits rather than the drawbacks.
2. Finding a workout partner.
3. The wonder of group exercise.
4. Making it a routine.
5. What it can do for you in the bedroom.

Looking at the benefits rather than the drawbacks. The drawbacks of exercise are easy to point out. It's hard work. It makes are muscles burn and fatigue, and we get sore afterward, right? Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about that. It's a necessary evil. But let's look at some of the benefits: increased metabolism, decreased body fat, increased lean muscle mass, increased energy, increased self confidence, and we look and feel better all of the time! I don't know about you, but to me, the benefits sure seem to outweigh the drawbacks. I mean who doesn't want to look and feel better? Now the task at hand becomes how to make exercise fun. I know that when I first started exercising, something that helped me immensely was having a vision. I had this image in my head of what I wanted to look like. While I was pounding out those last few reps on the leg press, I would see that image and it motivated me to finish those reps. I know it sounds a little hokey, but I swear it works! But don't worry; I'm going to give you more ideas to work with than just imagery.

Finding a workout partner. This one might seem like a no brainer, but there are a lot of people who don't even consider having a workout partner or a "gym buddy" as they are affectionately called sometimes. Working out with a friend can help immensely with motivation because chances are you're both in the same boat. Why go it alone? Take a friend. Friends are great to work out with because there's already a sense of fun there. You can make fun of each other while doing your sets. One person can make funny faces at the other while pounding out those last few excruciating reps. Some of you might be thinking "but what if I don't know anybody that wants to work out with me?" Well, find someone. Put up a personals ad. Lord knows we see everything else on Craig's List. So what's the harm in placing a personals ad to find a workout buddy? Who knows, you might be overwhelmed by the response because there just might be a lot of other people out there like you. And for those of you who can afford it, why not hire a trainer? Pay somebody to make it fun for you. That's what we're here for.

The wonder of group exercise. It amazes me how many people don't seem to take the idea of group exercise into consideration when planning a venture into the exercise world. All across the nation, gyms and health clubs have a multitude of group classes for both aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. I highly recommend taking classes for people who are intimidated or scared about starting a fitness regimen. The class atmosphere offers a great deal of support because everybody's there for the same reason- to get fit! Some people may be intimidated by the fact that there are so many people in the same class and that feeling of "not fitting in" might start to take shape. My response to that is this: Everybody has to start somewhere. And everybody that's already in that class had to start somewhere too. For this reason, most people that are already involved in group exercise as well as the group exercise instructor himself are extremely supportive and more than eager to help out and make newcomers feel safe and at home. Another thing to do if you're scared about starting a class is to look at the aerobics schedule for beginner classes. That way you know you're in the same boat with the other class members.

Classes in and of themselves have been tailored to be fun and creative. Classes such as Cardio Funk, Body Jam, and my personal favorite Cardio Strip, are usually filled to capacity because people just have so much fun with them. Others might enjoy classes such as Body Pump, Cardio Kickboxing, Step, and Spinning. Although they offer different results, Yoga and Pilates classes are also both very beneficial. I highly suggest taking a body building class with resistance training such as Body Pump in conjunction with other aerobics classes. Remember resistance training is vitally important in any fitness program.

Making it a routine. Exercise is not going to do anybody any good unless if it's regular. Going to the gym one week and then skipping the following week on an on going basis is not going to yield any noticeable results. But by making a routine of it, the act of exercise becomes easier to accomplish. To quote Oprah, "It's like bathing". It's just one of those things that we have to do. Will making it a routine also make it fun? Probably not. But it will make it complete, which leads to a strong sense of self gratification. I don't know about you, but that makes me feel happy!

What it can do for you in the bedroom. OK, you know I had to save the best for last. It has been shown that regular exercise leads to increased sex drive and improved function in the bedroom. Now, if that's not fun I don't know what is! It makes perfect sense. We start to look better, we start to feel better, and certain "feel good" hormones are increased which also leads to an increased sex drive. Resistance training for the entire body as well as core training will allow us to get into positions we never dreamed possible. And the aerobic training will allow us to go for far longer than we ever thought we could. There's some motivation for you! So improve your body, your health, and your sex drive and get to the gym!

As always, none of these ideas will work unless if you are incorporating proper nutrition. Proper rest and recovery are also essential for results. So don't neglect these two vitally important components. Otherwise all of your hard work in the gym will be for nothing.

Well, I hope I've given you some ideas to make your exercise routine more fun. And remember it is just that- a routine! Good luck with it and let me know how it works out. I would love to hear from some of you. Thanks for reading.

Be healthy!

Beach Body Special
Hey Folks, I wanted to let you all know that from May 15- June 15, I will once again be offering my punch card special as a part of my Beach Body Promo. As most of you know, I do the bulk of my training out of Quads Gym which is located in the Lakeview area at 3727 N. Broadway. Quads offers a 10 visit punch card for $80 that has no expiration date. For this specific time frame, I will be waiving the fee for that punch card for any new client that purchases a package of 10 or 15 sessions with me. Basically this means that each new client will still have to pay for the training, but they will not have to pay for the use of the gym until those first 10 visits have been used up. In addition, I will also be offering a free evaluation.

Michael Elder has been working as a fitness professional in Chicago for the last fifteen years. He comes from a background in gymnastics and is certified as a personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE). He can be contacted directly through his website, www.MichaelElder.com.