Want to start exercising? This is how you do it (and these are fun sports to do)

Exercise is, of course, very healthy, but actually starting or maintaining it can be quite difficult. It requires perseverance, motivation, and time in your sometimes busy schedule. How do you take that step to start exercising? And how do you keep it up?

1. Why’s it good for you?

I shouldn’t even need to answer this, but I will just in case. First of all, it can help to get the facts straight. Because what makes exercise so healthy? Exercise is good for your body and mind. It not only ensures better fitness and more muscle strength but also promotes your night’s sleep and reduces the risk of many conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis, and stroke. In addition, people who exercise regularly have a 30 percent lower risk of dying prematurely. Moreover, you often feel better after exercising than before, and exercising prevents depression. If those aren’t enough reasons to start exercising, then I don’t know.

2. Where do I begin?

To start you off, it’s good to think about what you would like to do. To continue exercising, it’s especially important to choose a fun activity that suits you. At the end of this article, I’ll give some fun sports and exercise tips. Have you found one or more activities that suit you? Then see when you can make time for it. Try to find a fixed routine in your schedule, and also put the moment of exercising in there so that it’s actually scheduled. This way, it’ll be more difficult to not exercise.

3. How often?

According to the exercise guidelines, an adult should perform moderate- or vigorous-intensity exercise for at least 2.5 hours per week, spread over several days. You’re completely free to complete this for yourself, but it’s smart to at least spread it out over 2 to 3 days (more days are also possible). Also, try to vary the activities a bit to keep it ‘exciting’ for yourself. For example, choose to swim one time and run another time.

4. Prioritise it

Do you feel like you never find the time to exercise? Then you probably don’t really see exercise as a priority. Try to think of which times of the day you can make extra time to exercise. For example, the morning before you go to work is a nice time. You start the day well and don’t have to dread it after a day of work. But your lunch break is also a good time to do some small exercises, practice yoga, or take a nice walk. Make sure that exercising is part of your routine and that you have fixed times when you exercise.

5. Find a buddy

To stay extra motivated, it’s nice to exercise with someone. It’s often easier to cope together than on your own. Find a fixed time during the week when you can go for a walk, run, swim, or go to the gym together. This way, neither of you can get out of it easily, and it’s also a lot of fun.

6. Fun sports

Finding a fun sport that keeps you motivated can be quite difficult. That’s why I’ve collected some fun activities for you. The most important thing remains: choose one or more activities that suit you, because only then will they remain fun and you will stick with them.

• Bouldering is a climbing sport that’s very popular. Do you like a challenge, and do you want to train all your muscles? Then this might be something for you. With bouldering, you climb to a maximum height of two to three meters, so you don’t need to be secured. So fear of heights isn’t a problem because you’re not climbing that high.
• Loose those hips, because dancing is also a very good option if you want to exercise more. It’s an intensive workout that trains both your muscles and your endurance. Many gyms offer dance lessons, but you can, of course, also join a dance school.
• Don’t you like running, but do you like training outside? Inline skating is certainly a fun option. You train your leg muscles and build up a lot of fitness.
• With pilates, you only use your own body weight or small accessories, such as the Swiss ball. The emphasis is on your muscle building, with a lot of attention paid to the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor.

Love, Skye Lewis ❤

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