Top 5 Fun Exercise Activities That Are Good for You But Don’t Feel Like Exercise
We all know that we should exercise on a regular basis as moderate to vigorous physical activity has numerous health benefits. Exercise helps to not only control your weight and decrease your risk of cardiovascular diseases, it also improves your mood and general quality of life. However, going to the gym can be expensive or difficult to fit into your schedule, and let’s face it—a lot of exercises are repetitive, tedious and boring. Luckily, there are some fun exercise activities that give you the same health benefits as those workout routines you abhor but are so fun you won’t even realize you’re actually exercising.
5. Getting Creative is Great Exercise
It may seem counter-intuitive, but engaging in artistic pursuits benefits your health. While participating actively obviously results in a greater overall benefit than passively viewing others, both can lead to lower levels of stress and enjoyment and overall satisfaction with life.
Nurturing your creative side by painting a mural or writing a poem may not give you bulging biceps or the toned legs of a dancer, but it does improve your health holistically by decreasing anxiety.
4. Dance To Your Heart’s Content
One of the most fun exercise activities is dancing. Shaking your groove has plenty of health benefits, but you’ll never even realize you’re getting a workout. In addition to a full-body aerobic workout that burns fat and builds muscle, dancing also strengthens your bones and builds stamina and endurance.
Particular types of dancing also mean you’re moving your body in ways you wouldn’t with other types of exercise—like ballroom dancing, for instance, which requires a lot of backward movement. Learning specific steps improves your memory and cognitive function, but it’s not necessary to take classes or learn particular dances to reap the benefits—just crank up your favorite music and rock out for a half hour.
3. Ice or Roller Skating
Ice skating, rollerblading, and roller skating are enjoyable alternatives to jogging or running. They can burn from 250 to 810 calories an hour, even if pursued recreationally. Ice skating requires a nearby rink, which can be cheaper than joining a health club if you find one. Roller skating, on the other hand, doesn’t require a roller rink. As long as you have skates, you can skate on sidewalks and in most public parks. It works all major muscle groups and is recommended by the American Heart Association for aerobic fitness.
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2. Exercise by Playing Video Games
Motion games on platforms like Wii, Xbox 360 Kinect, and PlayStation Move offer a fun way to be physically active at home. You may not even realize you’re exercising, but you are! A study by the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that playing these games burns as much energy as walking on a treadmill at three miles per hour. It’s not boring like treadmill walking – it’s enjoyable. Additionally, video games can enhance hand-eye coordination and multitasking skills, which can be beneficial in the workplace.
1. Sexercise
Indeed, sex is a great cardiovascular workout, burning around 100 calories in just 30 minutes. Additionally, engaging in sexual activity once or twice a week can boost overall health. A study by Wilkes University found that students who had sex at least that often exhibited higher levels of antibodies, protecting them from colds and infections.
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For men, regular sexual activity can lower the risk of developing prostate cancer later in life. Overall, it lowers your stress levels and blood pressure, and can even improve your self-esteem.
