For many people, keeping fit and doing exercise sometimes feels like a chore, another task to tick off the list. Newsflash: it doesn’t have to be that way! With the right environment, fitness can be both effective and enjoyable, that’s why we created social fitness! Making fitness fun will mean you’re more motivated to get up and train in the morning. You’ll be connecting with others and having a great time along the way. So, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to making fitness fun again. Your workouts will no longer feel like a boring burden, but a social occasion that makes you forget how hard you’re working!
1. Take It Outside
Studies show that just 30 minutes spent in nature is enough to reduce symptoms of depression and alleviate stress. Doing your workout outside leads to reduced cortisol in your body, the hormone that creates stress. Choosing to take your fitness programme to the park could be the secret to making your routine more fun-filled. In contrast to the never changing gym environment, the great outdoors is always changing, full of stimulating views and interactions. Taking your fitness outside is a great first step towards mixing it up and finding the joy in your jogging.
2. Create a Soundtrack
Research tells us that listening to music while working out could improve performance activity by up to 15%. It’s no surprise then, that in a recent survey, 75% of runners choose to run with music. It improves their focus, gives an external stimulus and lowers their awareness of their activity. A feel-good fitness soundtrack, using songs with a beat around 120-140 beats per minute, can help you enjoy your workouts more. Even when you’re the final sprints of your HIIT workout!
3. Set Goals
When it comes to training motivation, it’s important to have an objective to aim for. Particularly when it’s cold and dark and you feel like hibernating. Without it, it’s easy to stay in your comfort zone, not challenge yourself, or not keep up your workout regime. So set yourself realistic goals so you can track your own progress and feel great when you start seeing the results you’ve been looking for. It might be that you enroll in an event like a 10K run or a marathon, or that you set yourself a time, weight, or distance you want to hit within a certain period of time. Your workouts will be more enjoyable and productive, since you’ll be visualising hitting your targets and making personal progress.
4. Social Fitness
A proven way of making fitness fun is by making it social. When you train in a group, you have the opportunity of meeting new people and you feel part of a community. Working out with others can actually make you perform better too. Studies show that group fitness could boost workout time and intensity by a massive 200%, thanks to some healthy competition, and support from those around you. Both exercising and socialising are proven to release endorphins, magic hormones that have the power to reduce the perception of pain, the symptoms of depression and anxiety, lower stress and improve sleep. This means combining socialising and exercising in the form of social fitness gives you a powerful kick of that post-workout positivity.
If you’re looking to make your workouts fun again, One Element’s social fitness sessions support you to achieve your fitness goals in a exciting social setting. Thanks to our busy calendar of social activities, you’ll not only get in shape but you’ll enjoy yourself along the way too. Try a free trial today.
