CORE VALUE SERIES: LET'S HAVE SOME FUN

We are continuing with our Core Value Series where we’re diving a bit deeper into each core value of Worth the Work Fitness in order to help you get to know us better, and to help encourage you towards a healthier mindset with your health and wellness journey. Each week we are sharing one of our nine core values that are a part of the foundation of why we do what we do, and expanding on why each one is so significant to us and why we believe each can be significant to you as well.

We believe in having fun, even when it comes to working out! You’ll see us dancing before the workouts, laughing at ourselves throughout, and finishing with a big virtual high-five! When you’re enjoying what you’re doing, you’re more likely to keep doing it. That’s why we don’t take ourselves too seriously. There will be times a movement might feel awkward, or you feel like you look goofy doing it - don’t let that stop you! Everyone has that feeling at some point, including us, and it gives us something to grow stronger in.

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If I were to ask you what words you associate with exercise, would the word ‘fun’ make the list? Some of you might say yes, but it’s likely that others of you might scoff, roll your eyes, or stare disbelievingly that anyone would ever use the words ‘fun’ and ‘exercise’ in the same sentence. Those are the people I specifically want to speak to today. Because odds are, if you think working out is anything but fun, you probably aren’t doing it too often, and I want to change that.

I think it goes without saying that the more we enjoy doing something, the more likely we are to continue doing said activity. The same thing applies to exercise. If we dread it, our commitment to it is probably going to wane quickly. But if we find ways to enjoy it, the more we will likely stick with it, and therefore the more we will reap the benefits of it. Think of it like this: do you remember the teacher that made you laugh in class when you were in school? The one who made what you were learning about relatable and fun? Odds are you probably paid more attention to what that teacher was trying to help you learn, because he or she made the process more fun, rather than just making it feel like the same kind of work every other class required. You retained the information a little easier or the teacher made a deeper impression on your life. So what if we made the process of working out more fun? That way you might not resent the work it involves and you come to enjoy it so much that it becomes a regular activity in your life.

The challenge with this is that we all have different tastes. We all have different capabilities with our bodies. We all have different goals. So there is no one workout format that is going to be best for everyone. And yet, I think many of us have fallen victim to believing that there supposedly is. And we either haven’t found it yet, or there must be something wrong with us if we don’t like doing it. So, we start to believe we could never be the kind of person that likes to work out.

Rather than giving in to that lie, let’s change the script. Let’s change our mindset and approach and try to give exercise a fair chance. So here’s a few tips for transforming working out into an activity you actually WANT to do:

1. Find a work out format that you personally enjoy and that makes you feel good. There are many different ways we can move our bodies, so there is bound to be something that you just might like. Running, weight lifting, or yoga might not be your jam, but then maybe you try a bootcamp class and you find the thing you’d been looking for all along. Maybe the idea of a spin class makes you cringe, but going for a hike puts a skip in your step. What matters most is that you find ways to move your body that you don’t dread, but also that challenge you and make you feel good. And then keep doing it. It might take some time to figure out what that might be, but don’t give up looking for it. 
   
2. Mix it up so you don’t get bored. Depending on your preferences and personality, you might like doing the same thing all the time, but it’s not only good for your body to have some variety - it’s also a good way to ensure you don’t grow tired of doing the same thing over and over. Mix up your format, try a new class, give yourself some variety throughout the week. At Worth the Work Fitness, while we always utilize a High Intensity Interval Training approach, we change up the formats and exercises included in each workout so you never have to do the same one twice (unless you want to, that is).
   
3. Fuel your workout with your favorite tunes. What kind of music inspires you to move? Whether it’s techno, hard rock, or pop music, play what you love to accompany your movement in order to increase the odds of having a good time. Maybe even take a dance break to help you loosen up. Multiple studies have shown that dancing improves mental health and provides a boost in overall mood. So in our opinion, what better time to be in a good mood and get your mind feeling right than before a workout? That’s why we take 30 seconds before every workout to dance like nobody's watching. It can help your body stay warmed up, and it can put a smile on your face as you get prepared to do some work.
   
4. Laugh. Have you ever screwed up a movement during a workout? Yeah, me too. But do you let it stop you, or do you keep going? Whatever you’ve done in the past, I hope that going forward you make the choice to keep going. Even as a trainer I might mess up a movement, lose my balance, or have a glitch with the timer, but you can bet that I’m going to smile, brush it off, and maybe even make fun of myself in the moment - just to put a smile on your face - and then keep going. And I give you full permission to cut yourself some slack and laugh through the mess ups too, even when you feel like you look funny doing something. Don’t let that negative self talk make you believe that you are incapable of doing this right. Many movements take practice. Give yourself some grace, and let loose. While we take our clients’ health and wellness incredibly seriously, we never want to take ourselves too seriously.
   
5. Celebrate what your body can do. Don’t get hung up on what you can’t do in a workout. Focus on what you can. And be proud of what you are able to accomplish. Then pay attention to how you progress, and celebrate every step of the way. If you focus on the wins, your brain can make a strong connection between what you are celebrating, and what you did to get there. Even doing something as small as a high five at the end of a workout is a way to acknowledge the achievement of the movement you completed. That’s why we do a virtual high five at the end of every workout. To remind ourselves that we did something good for us and celebrate a job well done - no matter what we looked like doing it.
   
6. Do it with a buddy. For some people, it can be hard to work out alone. But when we have a friend or a workout partner to join us, the sense of community can make the dreadful seeming activity a time of connection. Whether you go to a class, meet a friend for an activity, or follow a workout of ours from home (which mind you, provides you with a workout partner that will never cancel on you), you can enjoy the activity more when you feel like you’re not alone. 
   

So there you have it - six simple ways you can change up the way you approach exercising to make it a bit more fun. Now, I have to be honest, working out is still hard, no matter how fun you can make it be. There are still parts about it that I don’t fully love - and I say that as someone whose profession revolves around it. So I can understand and empathize with those of you who have to fight to get in the right frame of mind to workout sometimes. But that’s why I believe all the more that it’s important to have some fun while you’re putting in the work. If you can smile through the burn, it makes the process a whole lot more enjoyable. And when we enjoy it, we’re bound to stick with it for the long haul, and that’s what matters more.

Written by Brett Henderson and Kelly Pruim