Boredom Busters - Workouts You'll Actually Enjoy

Not everyone looks forward to going to the gym. Fair enough. Maybe going for a morning run at the crack of dawn every day isn’t your thing. I get it. What’s not OK is bagging out on exercise altogether. If you want to optimize your fat-burning potential and live a healthy lifestyle, working out is non-negotiable. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun while getting your sweat on. Here are a few ideas for anyone who’s easily bored by structured workouts.

Learn a new physical activity. Act like a kid again and take lessons in something you’ve always wanted to do—snowboarding, rock climbing, surfing, salsa dancing, you name it. The new challenge just needs to get your heart pumping and make your spirit happy.

Create a workout playlist. Studies show that if you’re exercising to music you love, you’ll work harder and longer than you would without tunes. For your custom playlist, choose music that’s 140 to 160 beats per minute (BPM) for the ideal rhythm for fitness.

Get a cool new gadget. If you’re a tech junkie, take advantage of some of the latest fitness gadgets out there, from pedometer apps to body-monitoring systems, to help motivate you and give you essential feedback on your progress.

Exercise with your kids. Put your little one in a jogging stroller and go for a weekend run, attach a child seat to your bike for a tandem ride, or go on a hike with the kiddo in a baby carrier. The bonding time you’ll have with your children will make the workouts even more worthwhile. No kids? Borrow some! Take your nieces or nephews to the park and play catch or shoot hoops.

Join a fitness challenge event. Test your athleticism and stamina by participating in one of the dozens of obstacle course races held around the country, including Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, and Spartan Race. The ultimate reward for training for and taking part in one of these races: feeling like the badass you are.