You can also listen to it here: (3:30)
If you were to have asked me this question 5 or 10 years ago I might have given you a different answer. Because for me working out was a means to an end. It was what was going to get me in shape to play football, help me build self-confidence, and ultimately get me the girl of my dreams.
So, was working out fun?
As I think back to the days of waking up at 4 am every morning to workout I don’t think fun ever crossed my mind. I can remember playing over and over in my head the Winnie the Pooh theme song to help get me motivated and out of bed, you know how it goes, “Got to wake up got to get going, got to meet a friend of mine he’s something-something-something Winnie the Pooh bear Winnie the Pooh bear.” You get the point.
Side note: after taking a few seconds to look into the theme song it turns out that I remember the TV show theme song and not the original theme song.
But back then I was driven to be able to do 20 Pull Ups and Chin Ups and run a 5-minute mile for 2 miles on an incline of 5 on the treadmill. Why? I have no idea but it was fun reaching for those silly goals, and it motivated me. It got me hiking and seeing all the beautiful sites the outside world had to offer.
The workout was not fun but what it allowed me to do was so rewarding. That is where the fun happened.
Today I have no workout goals, I just want to feel good every morning when I wake up, and I want to have the ability to hike a mountain or go snowshoeing if I decided to on a whim and not feel like I am going to die. The idea of having fun when working out for me at this point in my life is more important, then going HAM every time I step foot into a gym.
Don’t get me wrong, you still want to do exercise that will challenge you but you should also have a mix of exercises you want to do and enjoy. Because if you hate everything about what you are doing you will not stick with it for very long unless you are getting amazing results or it is allowing you to do something that is so fun, like in the above example.
So, I ask again is working out supposed to be fun?
I think it is a yes. You need to find a way to stay active that you enjoy. Whether that is lifting weights, running, dancing, or doing Prancercise you need to find something you like doing.
I also believe at some points if you are striving for a goal that exercise should me more challenging (doesn’t necessarily mean less fun but it can). And the enjoyment you get from it comes in the form of being able to use your body in a new capacity like running a 5k or doing a mud run.
But the moment exercise becomes a drag you will slowly stop doing it. The common thought in the fitness world is if you are having fun then you can’t get results. I think that is crap logic. And like everything it is a balance. You need a mix of fun and challenging. If I do all fun I will stick with it longer but might not get results as fast as I would like. Where on the other hand if you just bust balls all day you might get faster results but hate every second of it.
It’s yin and yang baby. I like to see both, 2/3 fun mixed with 1/3 ball busting.
Your Fitness Sherpa
Josh W
