Monique Marais explains how you can make fitness fun and shares tips on where to start depending on your fitness personality profile.
Fitness means different things to different people. For some, it means taking the dog for a walk while others train for marathons and extreme challenges. Fitness programmes are followed for various reasons, ranging from health-related benefits to weight loss management.
Fitness is not a one-size-fits-all concept and you need to know what your personal goals are to achieve your desired fitness level, and you need to find the motivation to stick to the plan.
Finding that motivation can be difficult, especially when you’re trying to balance a busy work schedule and raising children. The main reason reported for irregular exercise regimes is the lack of time. When you enjoy what you’re doing, you are, however, more likely to stick to it in the long run. The key is to make exercise fun.
F – focused
U – unique
N – new normal
Focused fitness
Have a clear goal of what you want to achieve. This will help you to stay motivated and identify exercises that will help you achieve these goals. Sometimes you may need some external motivation, so find a fitness buddy that has similar goals to you and motivate each other. Look for group classes or activities in your area that suits your time schedule, pocket, and goals.
Also make sure your goals are achievable. If you continuously miss the target, you’ll become demotivated with the process. Having someone to exercise with gives accountability, which reduces your chance of cancelling at the last minute.
Unique fitness
Find a form of exercise that is unique to your needs. Just because everyone jumps on the latest bandwagon, doesn’t mean it will be suitable for your needs, or enable you to meet your goals.
There is a wide variety of exercises available that cater for different levels of fitness. If you’re a beginner, identify a form of exercise that matches your level of experience and goals. If you’re more experienced, find a new challenge and commit to it. There are also various online fitness programmes and challenges which you can tailor to your needs and schedule.
If the conventional ways of exercising don’t motivate you to get moving, consider options such as trampoline fitness, pole fitness, rock climbing, trapeze, or aerial skills or even horse riding.
New-normal fitness
To achieve sustainability, you need to identify a form of exercise that can fit into your routine and that you will stick to. This might mean exploring different options before settling on something specific. For others, variety is the key, and they want to do different activities.
Know yourself and know your goals. A mind-shift is, however, required; this needs to become part of your routine, your new-normal, a lifestyle change. If you have children, remember that you’re modelling healthy lifestyle choices when you’re choosing to exercise regularly. Include your children when you do physical activities, this way you get to spend quality time with them while working out.
Exercises for all levels of fitness and ages
Benefits of physical activity
What fitness personality profile are you?
Dr James Gavin (Ph.D.) formulated the following fitness personality profile to help you identify the best fit for you that will be fun and sustainable.
Remember to follow a healthy balanced diet when you exercise to further contribute to your health and weight loss goals. By eating healthy and regular physical activity, you’ll reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes, and manage symptoms of hypertension and diabetes more effectively.
You need to provide your body with the necessary fuel to continue in this fitness journey to prevent injuries and complications. Also check with your healthcare provider if you have any chronic conditions before starting a rigorous exercise regime.
Go out, get fit, get healthy, and have some fun while doing it!
References
6 Ways to Put Fun Back in Your Workout | MyFitnessPal
Fun Ways to Exercise: 23 Unconventional Workout Ideas | Bulletproof
Starowicz, J., Pratt, K., McMorris, C. & Brunton, L. 2022. Mental health benefits of physical activity in youth with cerebral palsy: a scoping review. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Paediatrics, 42(4):434-450.
Ntwanano, A.K. & Pule, E. 2016. Psychosocial and psychical benefits of exercise among rural secondary school students. European Review of Applied Sociology, 8(11):14-18.
Hosseini, S.A., Salehi, O., Keikhosravi, F., Hassanpour, G., Ardakani, H.D., Farkhaie, F., Shadmehri, S. & Azarbayjani, M.A. 2021. Mental health benefits of exercise and genistein in elderly rats. Experimental Aging Research: An international journal devoted to the scientific study of the aging process, 48(1):42-57.
MEET THE EXPERT
Monique Marais is a registered social worker at Care@Midstream sub-acute, specialising in physical rehabilitation for the past 11 years. She has a passion for the medical field and assisting people to understand and manage their diagnoses and the impact on their bio-psychosocial well-being.
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