By Leo Babauta
There’s a tendency to turn the Get Active habit into a dutiful “get my exercise done for the day” approach … where you’re doing it because it’s good for you and you “should” do it.
Screw that.
The name of the game this month is Play. If you’re not having fun, you’re missing a huge opportunity.
Why? Because if you think of exercise as a chore, it’ll be dull, boring, a sacrifice. Who wants to do that? We’d rather be online or watching TV or … doing anything more interesting or relaxing.
But if you think of it as fun, you’re much more likely to look forward to it and want to do it every day. That means a longer-lasting habit, and one that you enjoy every day of your life.
Each day, ask yourself, “How can I have fun getting active? How can I play? What physical activity can I do that will give me joy?”
Yesterday I took a bike ride with my entire family, having a picnic and enjoying the sunshine together. We don’t do this all the time, to be honest, but it was an amazing day for me. We all woke up this morning a bit tired and sore, but it wasn’t grueling exercise being active for several hours — it was pure joy.
Some days I play basketball or go for a run with a family member. Or do random bodyweight exercises, or get my body moving slowly and mindfully with yoga (not as often as I’d like, though). There are days when I do regular workouts too, just to be clear, but I actually enjoy those. If you don’t, then don’t do them.
Every day this month, focus on fun and play and joy. Here are some ideas that people have shared on the forum … share your own!