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Now, I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with exercising to lose weight. If that is your goal and it keeps you motivated, go for it! But for many people, exercise (even if you want to fit into those skinny jeans) becomes a chore. Anyone can attest to the fact that it is easier to keep doing something that is fun, than something that you dread. Example: It is easy to get yourself to watch Game of Thrones every Sunday at 9pm. It is hard to then get up the next morning at 5am for your run…especially if you took to the internet to discuss the episode with friends. The key to success in making exercising fun, is reframing the way you think about exercise. Getting yourself moving is the goal. Exercising doesn’t HAVE to be hours on the treadmill or doing all the burpees. Kids don’t need a strict definition to get moving, and neither do you! As soon as you start realizing movement can be fun, it becomes that much easier to keep moving. So here are a few tips to get you thinking like a kid, and maybe, just maybe, enjoying exercise. There’s An App for That Technology is great! There is an app for nearly everything these days, particularly health apps. They’ll track your water intake, your run, your heart rate, and your sleep. There are many coaching programs out there, but there are two that are known to put an emphasis on fun. Zombies, Run! is an app that tracks your runs, while providing you with missions narrated by voice actors about a story that involves (in case the name didn’t give it away) Zombies. The app allows you to play your own music between the story clips. It even includes Zombie chases where you need to run faster, or risk losing to being eaten in real life! Ok, you won’t actually be eaten, but if you’re running alone in the woods you might turn around just to check. There’s No ‘I’ in Team Team sports aren’t just for kids and professional athletes. Most communities have some variety of adult sports team. Many times you can fill in an empty slot of someone else’s team if you can’t seem to get enough of your friends involved. There may also be leagues for sports you’d never thought of trying. When I found my local roller derby league I could barely skate, but now I can jump over 6 inch cones with ease and can hip check with the best of them. Find something that you enjoy and you’ll be exercising, making friends, and have a sense of accountability to keep you going. Explore Kids love to explore...why should they have all the fun? Adults can too! Whether it be at your local arboretum, a neighborhood park, a state park, the zoo, a historical part of your city, or a museum, join in on the fun! Walking is great exercise and doesn’t have to be a boring activity. After you pick a location, discover everything you can about it. Walk through every hallway in the museum, and return to your favorite pieces once you’ve seen everything. On a visit to the zoo, walk through and then double back to see animal feedings or special shows throughout the day. You’d be amazed how many steps you will get in a day of exploring, but it won’t even feel like exercise! When you start thinking about how fun exercise can be, it stops feeling like something you HAVE to do, and more like something you WANT to do. Incorporating even one of these tips can get you on the road to discovering the kid in you. Becky Moran is a former Graphic Designer for Simple Again, based in Philadelphia. " ...DISCOVER EVERYTHING YOU CAN..." Nutrition Quarterly · 2021 – Volume 4 9 Featured Articles