10 Ways to Make Exercise Not Suck
If you are like me, you loathe exercise but recognize its importance. Exercise has many benefits for the ADHD brain. However, it sucks. You get all sweaty and gross, and you tire yourself out. I don’t understand those people who LOOOOVE exercise. It makes no sense to me. To make things less terrible, I have come up with some ways of exercising that do not suck.
1.) Get a Dog
Dogs are great! They also take a lot of work, but that work has benefits. One benefit of taking care of a dog is more exercise. Taking my dogs for a walk is one of the best parts of my day. It helps us bond and helps me clear my mind. For the time we are out walking, I do not hate exercising.
2.) Watch Something Funny While Exercising
When I exercise, I watch a specific tv show, and I only allow myself to watch that show while exercising. It is hilarious. It makes the time go by faster. By enjoying something fun while you exercise, it becomes less tedious.
3.) PLAY!
One way to get exercise in is to play. Have fun! By moving around in play, you burn calories. This is another way a dog can come in handy. One fun way to exercise is to chase your dog around the house. I once invented a game that I could play against my Alaskan klee kai, Ace. (If you’re wondering, I won)
4.) Dance!
Dancing is great exercise. Turn on some tunes and shake it up. Pretend you are Richard Simmons and dance those calories away!
5.) Just Move, Dangit!
For a while, my exercise philosophy was just move around until you are sufficiently sweaty. It could be anything. Run around your house. Dance up a storm. Climb your stairs over and over. Do something! Or, do everything! Do one activity for a while and then switch to another one.
6.) Engage Your Brain
One of the reasons exercise might seem boring is your brain is not doing anything. Make an intellectual challenge part of your exercise routine. This may take some creativity, or you can try Extreme Puzzle.
7.) Find a Friend!
One way to make things a little more fun is to have someone there with you while you exercise. If you are competitive, you might even try seeing who can burn the most calories or produce the most sweat. There are numerous ways of gamifying exercise when you have a friend with you.
8.) Join a Sports League
This one may not be quite possible in the time of COVID, but once things begin to return to normal, you should be able to find a league you can join. Some leagues even have options to join a team even if you do not have friends who are willing to play with you. Having the camaraderie and the game will help exercise seem fun.
9.) Change Your Attitude
Create a mindset of “I get to exercise” rather than “I have to exercise.” By embracing exercise, it will be less horrible. This is why I watch that show while I am on the exercise bike. I make it something I enjoy doing.
10.) Hire a Coach
Yes, I am biased about this one, but it really can help. A coach can help you take a look at what interests you and find a way to incorporate that into your exercise routine. If you would like to learn more about coaching, please reach out to me.