Tips For Making Exercise More Enjoyable

For good health, adults should get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, which many can fit in by exercising about 30 minutes per day for five days. However, while they could fit in this much exercise, most people opt to spend their time doing other leisure activities, many of which aren't particularly healthy, such as sitting in front of the TV. Only about 49 percent of Americans get the recommended amount of exercise each week. If you're one of those people who have trouble getting enough physical activity, try choosing a type that you really enjoy.

Join a Recreational League

People who enjoy team sports, such as those who grew up playing basketball, hockey, softball, soccer, or volleyball, might be able to motivate themselves to get out and be more active if they sign up for one of the many recreational leagues available around the country. Being part of a team means that there are other people counting on you, which makes it harder to skip the workout without consequences. Besides, it will give you an opportunity to get back into a sport that you've always enjoyed while socializing with other adults and burning lots of calories. For example, a 160-pound person playing basketball for an hour burns 584 calories and the same person burns about 292 calories during an hour of volleyball. For more information, contact local professionals like Nex Level Arena.

Play With Your Kids

Sometimes people have trouble fitting in a workout because they're always taking care of the kids and find it hard to find enough time by themselves or someone to watch the kids. One way to get around this is to play with your kids. Chasing your child or playing a game of tag for about half an hour burns up to 539 calories for a 155-pound person, depending on how vigorously you're exercising. The same person burns about 149 calories in a half hour of moderately active play with kids. Have a rope jumping competition and you can burn about 238 calories per half hour, and playing Marco Polo in the pool burns about 200 calories in 30 minutes. Thus, playing with kids can count as your daily workout. The kids will love the extra time having fun with mom or dad, so it's a win-win situation.

Just Dance

Those who could use a mental boost or who are feeling a bit depressed may want to just turn on some music and bust a move. Dance has been found to be better at lifting people's moods than other types of exercise, which may help to motivate you to get moving. How many calories you'll burn will depend on the type and intensity of your dancing, as well as how much you weigh. For example, ballroom dancing burns about 205 calories and fast or ballet dancing burns about 223 calories every 30 minutes for a person who weighs 155 pounds.