On this week’s fitness boost, Scott talked about having fun with your workouts.  He had a lot of great suggestions, things like mixing it up and getting away from your routine. 

So I want to know: what’s your way of having fun and keeping things interesting while working out?

Here’s my answer: I don’t go to the gym!  Seriously, I’ve always hated lifting weights.  Instead, I go to a dojo.  I have a brown belt in Kyukushin karate and am on the watch list for blue belt in Chito Ryu karate.

The great thing about karate is that I’m always learning.  There’s always a new kata, application, or move to learn.  There’s always something I can improve.  I learn something every time I work with a new person. (Like… how do I adapt this move when the person’s a foot taller than me? ) Karate works my body and my brain, so I’m never bored.  But believe me, it’s an awesome workout!

So… what about you?

Cheers,
Julie

1. When I’m on the upright stationary bike at home I put on some dance tunes and let my upper body dance while my lower body pedals.
2. Tai Chi class-Its as you said, Julie, always something differnt. One day we’re slicing apple with a sword when they thrown at us and another we’re meditative and focused on the form and another we learning self defense technques or working with the bo staff.
3. Fitness with a friend- Its fun to chat while resting between 100’s at the pool or doing Yoga Booty Ballet.
4. Watch yourself-The gym on campus has full length mirrors by the dumb bell area so its really fun to watch yourself while you lift and watch the muscle that flex and move and also watch yourself make silly faces at yourself.

Music is my big motivator when I’m exercising solo. I have a bunch of favorite tracks, a lot of old tunes I used to dance to in the 80s and 90s, as well as buying some songs from the Jazzercise playlists through iTunes, my favorites. Audiobooks or podcasts don’t do as much for me, especially on the treadmill. Music can rev me up.

It helps that I really like the people, also, in my classes. One time when we were doing our warmup the instructor just had us march around the room rather than in place, and on a whim I just stuck my hands out like a kid pretends she’s an airplane, so I was gliding around. Everyone smiled, and I giggled.  Put me in a great mood for the rest of the hour. The next time I pulled that little silliness, someone else joined me.

I’ll have to see how I do with my new gym membership, staying motivated.  I think I’ll do best if I plan on doing some of the scheduled classes, and then use the equipment afterward. I’ve been eager to try spinning and Zumba, as well as beginning yoga if I can find classes that fit my schedule.  And Julie, I would like to explore karate at some point too, so I may have questions for you.

Absolutely!  I’ve been doing karate on-and-off since I was twelve (about 13 years), and have been part of two dojos long-term and visited a number of other ones.  All you need to do is ask!

Cheers,
Julie