I was reading a blog on Yahoo! Health about how to make exercise fun and I was wondering how everyone here does it? I know music will be a big one, but what are some of the other ways that you get moving?

I joined www.audible.com and download books to my mp3 player. I discovered that a good scary novel picks up my pace quite a bit! And I don't even notice the time flying. I try to make a rule that I can't listen to the book unless I'm exercising.

I love using the kids Wii, playing tennis, wii fit etc, as well as hiking. We live in the Blue Ridge Mountains so there are plenty of fun things to do here, kayaking, biking, hiking...

Although I'm scared to death of bike riding... I bought a bike. Honestly, its fun although it is taking a bit getting used to. I think of myself as relearning how to ride a bike but really in the end, my heart rate goes up, i sweat and I've gotten decent exercise.

I exercise with a friend. We chat the whole time (when I'm not too out of breath;-) and joke around a lot. I probably laugh more between 5:30 and 7:30 am than I do the rest of the day.

Laura

Nelie: You bought a bike too? So is it fear that gets your heart rate up Just kidding.

Back to the question how to make exercise fun. Definitely music but also setting new goals/expectations for that workout. For cardio I try to get a better time in my run or more cycles on the elliptical during a given time period. While lifting I may try to squeeze out just one more rep than last weeks workout etc.

Another boredom buster is to research new exercises online from different sites and creating a new routine to fit them into my time at the gym. Right now stability exercises on one leg seems to keep me and everyone else around me slightly amused.

Lydia, I did, I haven't informed LWL about it yet

One thing is I usually watch interesting tv programs/movies when I exercise at home so that I keep myself entertained. I also love weight lifting so just lifting weights, for me, is fun. Increasing weights, better form, etc etc is all I really need to make me happy with weights although watching TV/movie helps as well.

Using the Wii is a blast!

A few years ago, I would have told you that the only fun exercise was swimming (I've always loved it, so much that I never let fear stop me from getting into the water), but I'm learning that there are a lot of ways to make moving more fun.

Geocaching (hubby lost our GPS and I'm mad. When he finds it, or I buy one on ebay - we're staring up again. google it. It's a treasure hunt using a gps "letterboxing" is a low tech version).

Walking dogs for the humane society (most shelters need volunteer walkers, and since we can't have a dog, I get a pooch fix, and stay within the good graces of our landlord and our fat dog-hating cat).

Bicycling - I don't use my bike as much as I want to, but I'm still glad I bought it.

MP3 player, definitely does help.

Just putting a pedometer on my shoes (a $5 cheapy pedometer clipped to my shoe laces) has helped. I try to match or beat the prior days record.

Joining a contest - United Way and Easter Seals often has walking for charity events. My TOPS groups (taking off pounds sensibly) runs alot of contests too, and now all TOPS groups are invited to participate in the "President's Challenge - Walk to Orlando" contest/challenge. The game involves earning 1 mile for every 30 minutes of exercise and bonus miles for meating certain minimums. Members track their progress and prizes and stuff will be awarded when the contest is ended in May of '09.

When I think of exercise as work, I tend not to do it. When I think of it as play, it's a lot easier, and when it's competitive (either with myself or others) I really enjoy myself.

Other than listening to music, I will watch an action flick while I'm on the treadmill.

I also really, really like watching subtitled movies, since I find that I get so wrapped up in reading them that I will lose track of time and be done with my work-out before I know it!

At other times, I let myself daydream. I have ridiculous, fun little fantasies while I'm on the treadmill to keep myself entertained. (I have quite the imagination!). For example: I will sometimes daydream about being a character on one of my favorite shows, and think up little scenarios to play out in my head. Sometimes I think about *ahem* more adult things.

It makes all the heavy breathing and sweatiness more fun for a while.

Hah. I'm not the only one.

.

Music. I workout to the beat of the music which makes me feel like I'm dancing. That also keeps me from thinking about how many more minutes I have until I'm finished.

kaplods - I forgot about dog walking. I walk my dogs every morning and I don't think of it as exercise. When we only had one dog, the pace was a bit quicker but now with 2, they seem to stop and sniff much more so its a slower pace.

I work out with a personal trainer. Those workouts are way way way more fun than working out on my own. Making my workouts fun is definitely a big part of what I'm paying him for.

If you can find a good instructor, taking a class at the gym can be equally effective in terms of making exercise fun. The group dynamic can really help.

Doing intervals makes the time fly by for me. On good days, it causes some sort of chemical reaction in my brain. I'll feel really energetic, happy, and good about myself. It's almost like a drug. I definitely have interval workouts where it is all I can do to drag myself onto the TM to get started but I'm practically dancing by the time I finish.

Checking out other people at the gym is another fun thing to do. What are people wearing, who's cute, who's thinner than me, who's doing an interesting exercise, who's just there to socialize--it's all interesting to observe.