Fun Workouts

If you think workouts have to be as much fun as a root canal, think again. Working out can be the most enjoyable part of your whole day – but you need to be creative about it.

Gyms, weights and treadmills are often not too appealing. Doing the same thing over and over turns into a grind and – believe it or not – doesn’t help you to get into shape as fast as a varied program.

Especially when it comes to cardio, the choices are nearly endless. Kayaking, cycling (Robin Williams recently admitted he was a bike-sexual), mountain climbing, tennis, golf, hacky sack and the list goes on…

Will these things help you burn fat? Absolutely. No doubt about it, ANY form of exercise or play that raises your heart rate and keeps it there for 20 minutes or more will burn calories and fat.

One of the benefits of using gym-based equipment is that it often tells you exactly how many calories you burned whereas most sport activity is kind of hard to gauge – but that doesn’t mean it not just as good.

In fact, it may be better. When you’re not thinking about lasting another five minutes on the elliptical, you can concentrate on having fun and – if you work at it – can even burn more calories because you lose track of time.

Ask somebody how long they go on the treadmill and they can give you the time down to the second. Ask somebody how long they played tennis and the answer will be much more vague – probably at least an hour.

And therein lays the secret – the more time, the better. Cardio actively burns calories based on two factors – time and effort. But it’s the time that’s the crucial factor – as long as you stay moving, you will burn calories and adding time burns large amounts.

That’s not to say that a machine in the gym burns less calories per hour – indeed, it usually burns more – but if you do a half hour on the machine you won’t burn the same as an hour on the court – not unless you really push it on the machine or play doubles on the court (doubles is not as good for cardio since you remain static too much of the time).

Most cardio machines are actually based on sports: stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing machines, steppers – all are based on outdoor sports. Why not just do them instead?

Granted, there are good reasons to used gym equipment – especially when it comes to resistance exercise – but there is really no good reason NOT to enjoy the great outdoors.

Forget about how many calories you burn. Have fun! And in doing so, you will actually burn more calories.

There’s another good reason to play: coordination. Sports develop balance and dexterity quicker than any gym machine. Take martial arts for example: not only do to you get stronger, but you will also be more balanced, flexible and coordinated. This holds true for any sport.

Don’t forget another factor: competition. When competing against others, you work harder – much harder. It’s hard to get excited about besting the treadmill, but slamming your rival is always exciting. This extra incentive can force you to really bust it and give you a great workout.

But remember: while very few suffer long-lasting injuries from working out at the gym, sports can be downright dangerous. Everyone knows at least somebody who’s been sidelined with a sports injury – sometimes permanently. That’s why the gym may still be your best ally in terms of protecting your body. A combination of resistance exercise to go with your favorite sport may be the best of both worlds. Take Tiger Woods for example: golf does not require big muscles, but he works out at the gym anyway to stay strong. Now it’s practically mandatory for other golfers who want to be at the top of their game thanks to his initiative.

Having strong muscles protects you from injury like nothing else. Just check out MTV’s Scared program which features skinny kids really trashing their bodies. Most of the accidents are simple falls (skateboards for the most part) that snap their spindly bones like dried twigs. Most scarecrows have more muscle than these kids and would probably hold up better in a fall.

Not only does resistance training make muscles that will protect you joints, but it also strengthens the tendons and increases bone density. Professional athletes train in the gym for very good reasons: it keeps them strong and injury free to rake it those big bucks.

If you are a weekend warrior at your sport, it makes even more sense to stay in shape during the week with either practice or gym time. Don’t think a few hours on the weekend are going to get it for burning fat; it won’t. You need to get some exercise at least every other day and cardio or cardio like activity preferably 4 to 5 days per week.

Another way to have fun is to convince a partner to workout with you. This makes it easier to get to the gym and gives you somebody to interact with – something that can make all the difference in the world.

Whatever your sport, try to complement with the work you do in the gym. If you like to swim, for instance, you get a great workout in your arms, chest and shoulders, but not so much for your legs – try to a get in a leg routine at least once a week.

If burning the fat is your goal, not matter what the sport; keep moving as much as possible to burn the most calories. A body at rest burns no extra calories at all.

Make it fun and you will enjoy your exercise – make it a drag and it will be. Mostly it’s in your mind. Take a positive outlook on activity and try to make as fun as possible – being childlike for this really helps. Be a kid! It’s free, fun and contagious. A few months down the road, not only will you be in better shape, but you’ll realize you’ve had a great time doing it!

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