Fun Ways to Exercise
Exercise shouldn’t be a chore. Get-Fit Guy shows you how to add some fun into your daily routines to keep things interesting.
Ben Greenfield
I recently tweeted:
“This is why I don’t *just* swim/bike/run/lift. Too much fun in other things like this: kellenmilad.com/free-movement-snack-solo-throw-catch”
The link brings you to an amazing video, and the article beneath it makes a very good point—if all you do is exercise just to burn calories, then you may be missing out on advanced interval training, multi-planar movements, plyometrics, hand-eye coordination, reflex conditioning, and that key element of movement: fun!
This led me to include some extra fun and some “throw and catch” style activities into my daily activities, including:
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Hitting a ping pong ball against the wall as fast as I can 100 times
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Hitting and throwing a tennis ball against my garage door
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Juggling as a warm-up for my weight training sessions
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Playing football and tennis ball catch with my kids
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Kicking a soccer ball against the wall
You can eventually begin to add more complex movements, such as shuffling side-to-side, moving forwards and backwards, catching and throwing with and without a bounce, throwing high in the air and catching, throwing behind-the-back and over-the-shoulder, and doing spins in between each throw.
Have fun simply playing with a ball the same way you would have if you were a kid!
How about you? Do you ever think about ways you can improve hand-eye coordination, increase fun, and move in different planes of motion than simply walking, running or riding a bike?
If not, then you should!
Balls image courtesy of Shutterstock.
About the Author
Ben Greenfield received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Idaho in sports science and exercise physiology; personal training and strength and conditioning certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a sports nutrition certification from the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an advanced bicycle fitting certification from Serotta. He has over 11 years’ experience in coaching professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes from all sports, and as helped hundreds of clients achieve weight loss and fitness success.