Enjoying Exercise

A huge challenge when figuring out a workout plan for someone is enjoyment.  How much someone enjoys doing an exercise definitely plays a role in how often they will actually do it as well as the time it takes for them to feel/see results.  For some people, thinking of exercise related things in which they enjoy doing is a really hard task- especially when it comes to cardio.  A lot of the people that I have worked with will tell me on their very first visit that they hate doing cardio (oh, and they normally aren't huge fans of lifting weights either, but that's another post in the making...)

A lot of people don't realize how many options are out there for them to choose from, AND that you don't have to get stuck doing the same thing everyday.  So I start by just asking them what cardio they have been doing and offering a few suggestions of what they could be doing.  If they don't like any of my suggestions, my next questions is "What activities and hobbies did you enjoy as a kid?" 
"Playing outside, tag, riding bikes, hopscotch, jump rope, playing sports, going swimming, climbing trees, etc."

 "Oh, guess what?!?!?  ALL of those can count towards your cardio time!!"

Go for a run, take a spinning class (or actually ride a bike outside!), draw a hopscotch on your driveway and just do the movements, jump rope (inexpensive way to get in some intense cardio!), join a community adult sports league, swim laps at the local pool, go rock climbing....   

If you do what you enjoy, you're much more likely to stick with it!!  As an adult, it may just look a little differently.  Try to think a little outside of the box, find things that you enjoy, and don't be afraid to go out and try something new!