10 fun ways to stay fit

Staying fit won’t be fun 100 percent of the time, but you should try to make it as enjoyable as possible.
Why? Because if something is more fun, you’re more likely to do it consistently and will do a better job.
And, let’s face it, we only live once, so we should try to do things we enjoy as much as possible.
So, when you’re in the gym choose exercises you enjoy. However, that doesn’t mean to skip body parts that are harder to work out. Yes, you still have to exercise your legs.
When you’re away from the gym, look for fun ways to stay fit by cross-training.
Here are 10 ways to exercise and have fun at the same time:
1 Play with your kids – Don’t just watch them play, but interact for several hours. You’ll no doubt move around plenty and burn lots of calories.
2 Work on the flower beds – Make your property look great while getting some good exercise at the same time.
3 Chop some wood – This is one of my favorites. You’ll have a nice pile of wood for fires and also get a great workout.
4 Play a sport – Whether it’s a city rec league slowpitch softball game, pickup basketball game or just playing catch in the backyard, this is a fun way to stay active.
5 Go fly a kite – A great way to enjoy a nice day, smile a lot and run around.
6 Clean the house – OK, this one is not actually a lot of fun, but if you look at it as “this is my workout for today,” you can get a lot done and feel good about it afterward.
7 Speed shopping – Do your grocery store of mall shopping at a brisk pace to mix in a cardio workout. Just watch out for the old ladies when turning the aisle corners.
8 Go for a family walk – A great way to get the whole family some healthy exercise.
9 Run with your dog (or after him) – A fun way for you and Rover to bond and get lots of exercise.
10 Play Frisbee – If you can get the form down to throw it right, playing Frisbee is a lot of fun and provdes excellent cardio benefit.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com