When you first start working out, it feels like a lot of discomfort, muscle soreness, and confusion about how long you’ll need to wait to start seeing results. The good news is that the more you exercise the more enjoyable it all becomes. However, this doesn’t just happen overnight, and you have to be patient. The other truth? If you don’t discover the right workout program for you, you won’t ever see the results you’re looking for or find being active to be enjoyable. For this post, we’re discussing three fun workouts to try in 2019, and how you can find the best one for you. Anyone can take these steps, and in doing so find your way to making exercise enjoyable and rewarding.
How to make your workouts fun
1. Try out multiple types of workouts for a day or week at a time.
Most fitness facilities have the option of at least a one day trial. Many have a week trial, or a set up where a friend can bring a friend to let them try out the offerings. Take advantage of this, and try out as many as you can in a week or month. If you’re up front with the owner or manager, they’ll respond positively to you wanting to understand what you enjoy doing, what works best for your goals, and where you feel most at home.
In the boutique fitness world, finding the correct customer is just as important as finding any customer ; you won’t be taking advantage of anyone in doing this trial, it is why it is offered!
A few of our favorite workouts include CrossFit, yoga, Orange Theory (or other HIIT bootcamps) and power lifting gyms. Of course these are truly all over the map, but that is the point – what one person enjoys you may find less-than-fun. You need to find out what you enjoy doing, and have fun workout options for 2019 suited for your unique wants and needs.
The one caveat here is this: go in with an open mind. If you are trying out CrossFit with your friend, for example, don’t get pulled into the nonsense Instagram world of CrossFit and expect a workout of handstand walking and muscle ups (things you almost certainly cannot do on day 1). Sure, these may be in your workout, but you’re going to be scaled to the appropriate level so you are able to stay safe. Same goes with any workout – be open to the coaching you receive, and really take in the overall experience of the gym.
2. Sign up for a challenge to keep you accountable.
Public speaking is the number one fear of all people – working out in a competition feels a lot like public speaking. Therefore signing up for a public competition is a great tool to make sure you show up for your workouts day in and day out. Plus, it makes things way more rewarding when you prepare with all your effort and see it pay out during the competition.
What you sign up for really doesn’t matter, just make it hard enough to stretch you past what you’re comfortable doing. If the challenge is too small, deep down you’ll know you can achieve it whether you go to the gym two or five times per week, and that does not keep you showing up. It has to be big enough to scare you a little bit, and emotionally exciting enough to make you really want to succeed.
This is your chance to relive those competitions if you were an athlete growing up, or to make an amazing story if you’ve never had the chance to compete physically before. It stretches you outside your comfort zone and truly makes you grow mentally even more than physically.
A few of our favorite ways to challenge yourself include obstacle races (such as Spartan Race or Tough Mudder), a local 5k, or a local CrossFit competition.
3. Keep track of your progress.
Measuring your success is more important than just showing the amazing transformation picture on Instagram. It keeps you recognizing just how far you’ve come when you feel like giving up because there is so much farther to go.
The dirty little secret of the fitness world is that the effort never truly ends. There is always another goal to take down, a new personal record to set, or another vacation to prepare for. This is what makes it fun and never boring!
Here are our two favorite ways to measure your progress in fitness, detailed below:
- Body Scanner: this can be an Inbody, Dexa Scan, caliper measurement, Bod Pod, etc. The list is seemingly endless of devices you can use to measure your body fat, muscle mass, water retention, and weight. Pick one and stick to it; the accuracy is not as important as the consistency which tells you a trend. If you see the measurements on one device going in the wrong direction for your goals, change things up.
- Progress Pictures: for those who do not have a body scanner (most of us) or access to one, progress pictures are definitely the next best option. Here’s why: a scale tells you a number, a picture tells you a thousand words. If you weigh yourself at 150 pounds, then hop on the scale two months later and are 160 pounds, one could reason you’d be unhappy. However, if the picture at 150 has very little muscle tone, and at 160 you look exactly how you want, you’re going to be pleased. Take a weekly picture to see how things are progressing, and use these to gauge results. Be sure to take the picture at the same time each week, and try not to do anything out of the ordinary (such as drink a lot) the day or night before taking it. For us, the middle of the week first thing in the morning works very well.
How to make your workouts fun…forever
If you make your workouts fun, you’ll enjoy the journey and be staggered by the results which seem to naturally come from you consistently showing up and committing to a plan. It is true that change always comes with a level of discomfort, and starting a workout plan is definitely a change. It is an extremely positive one, not only for your body but also for your mind, but it is uncomfortable. Before you even take step 1 from above, commit to yourself that you will stick with one of the fitness classes you try. It will be one of the best gifts you ever give yourself if you do, and hopefully one of these fun workouts to try in 2019 help get you there!
