3 Things Fitness Should Be

Hike with friends makes it extra fun. Photo by Jamie Dunlop Khau

I often think of how fitness can be made more easily accessible and attainable for everyone. Having worked with so many different types of people in rehabilitation, I came up with three that simplifies it.

Exercise should:

Be easy
Make me feel great
Meet my fitness goals

IT SHOULD BE EASY
This is in no way related to intensity level. Exercise can be as challenging as you make it but the act of going to workout should be simple and easy. If the activity lasts over an hour or it requires a lot of equipment, it’s likely not going to happen that often. My husband loves running for this reason; you grab a pair of running shoes and off you go for a fantastic workout that challenges your heart and your muscles in one fell swoop. I’ve been known to squeeze in a workout between clients if we train at the gym because, well, I’m already there, and it’s easy.

IT SHOULD MAKE ME FEEL GREAT
How often does a workout leave you feeling less than stellar? Did you work too hard? Did it cause injury? Did you feel challenged? Because I probably would not do it again if I didn’t enjoy myself and reach the perfect amount of challenge.

One of my favourite ways to get active is to do a partner workout! I’ll text my BFF to see if she can join me for a ‘short’ sweat session, which usually turns into a FUN and sweaty gab session but I am OK with that. ☺ I also love feeling strong post workout – workouts are so much more beneficial when my mentality is positive.

IT SHOULD MEET MY FITNESS GOALS
Am I wanting to build strength so I feel awesome walking up the stairs with my toddler? Do I want to get back to pre-pregnancy? Do I want to be able to run 5k? Do I have pre-existing injuries that need to be treated as well? Whatever activity you choose, it should be related to where you want to be in fitness. If you have had trouble in this area, a registered trainer or kinesiologist can be amazingly useful.