I don’t like exercise. I understand that it’s important and that keeping my body moving will keep me healthy, but I could never get into exercise. I tried playing sports as a kid, but I never liked them. I used to work out once a week, but I had someone who helped me with that, and I would always feel uncomfortable after. Sometimes, I get so stressed and burnt out that I don’t even want to think about moving around. However, this lack of moving around has started catching up to me now that I’m in college, and I decided that maybe I should try and figure out some ways to get at least some movement each day as someone who doesn’t like exercise. Here are some activities I do to make exercise more enjoyable!
Walking
I know walking is the generic answer that people give for what to do when you need to move around, but it’s for a good reason. Walking is free, and it’s easy to do if someone has an able body for walking. I try to walk everywhere I go on campus, whether it’s to my classes, to get food, or to go to events around the school. Everything is within walking distance at GCU, so it’s not like I’m walking for hours, and there aren’t any elevation changes like in a hike, so it’s super easy for me to do it regularly. The only problem is when it gets boring, so here are some things I do when I’m on walks to keep myself entertained:
- Listen to music: I have a playlist of songs that make me feel like I’m in a music video or on a catwalk, so having that playlist going when I’m on a walk keeps me entertained.
- Read posters: If I want to go on more of a stroll, I’ll take the time to read some posters around campus. A lot of clubs will post flyers for events they are hosting, and I like checking out those flyers to see if there are any events I’d want to go to. Some people post flyers for their small businesses, like someone who was doing hair, makeup, and nails around Halloween time, so those are always cool to check out.
- Pokémon Go: I forgot that Pokémon Go was a thing until my communications teacher mentioned that she still plays it. I re-downloaded it because I’m a Pokémon nerd and I want to collect a team of cute characters.
I’ve grown to appreciate walking as I’ve been walking from place to place on campus. As the weather gets nicer, walking helps me feel peaceful and gives me a chance to connect with the world around me. If you don’t want to wander around campus, wandering around places like malls and grocery stores is also fun. Just make sure you don’t spend too much money while you’re there!
Video Games
Speaking of PokĂ©mon Go, I’ve been looking into video games that keep me active. I’m a huge nerd and I prefer to stay in and play video games over working out, so if I can get my video games to “trick” me into exercising, then I think that’s a win. I have a Nintendo Switch, which means I can play games that use the controllers to track my movement. I don’t have many games that are keeping me active right now, but the ones I do have are:
- Just Dance: Who doesn’t love Just Dance? I get so much nostalgia from playing Just Dance, so seeing how much it has changed over the years gives me a warm feeling. Just Dance is meant to be a community game, so you could invite your friends over to have a Just Dance party. If you don’t have an actual Just Dance game, there is a free website called Just Dance Now that uses your phone as the controller. Most of the dances are also available on YouTube for free, you just don’t get the satisfaction of earning points with those.
- Animal Crossing: When people think of Animal Crossing, they don’t usually associate it with being active. They usually associate it with being cuddled up under a blanket and doing anything but moving. However, in earlier versions of the game and the New Horizons 2.0 update, there is an activity called “Group Stretching” that you can do with your villagers. In the New Horizons version of the activity, the player has the option to either press buttons as the stretches happen or participate in the stretches physically with their controllers. I love this feature because it encourages me to do some stretching, and I get to see all my adorable little villagers stretching with me.
Some games that I want to get for my Switch are Ring Fit Adventure, which is specifically meant for working out, and Arms, which is a robot battle game that requires the player to punch the air with their controllers to fight their opponent. I think incorporating working out into video games is a good motivator for some people to be a little more active in their day-to-day lives.
It’s hard for me to keep up with my health, especially as someone who hadn’t paid much attention to it before I started living on my own. As my classes continue to stress me out, it’s important to take time for myself and to connect with my body in ways that are comfortable and capable for me. You don’t have to lift weights or do an insane hike to keep yourself healthy, you just have to make sure you move and appreciate your body and what it can do. Oh, and remember to drink water while you’re at it!