110 Fun (& Fertility Friendly) Ways to Stay Fit
Movement and joy are essential for creating a healthier, happier, and more fertile body, mind, and life. Notice, I didn't say exercise. And that's because for a lot of people, myself included, the word "exercise" brings up all sorts of things we'd rather not think about, like embarrassingly shiny and tight bodysuits à la an 80’s jazzercise montage, muscle pain that rivals PMS cramps, or expensive gym memberships. For a lot of us exercise is this boring thing we have to do, rather than a way of moving that we deeply enjoy and want to do.
Without question, active people reap a lot of wellness benefits. When we move our bodies our blood gets flowing and endorphins start pumping. All these things lead to a stronger, healthier, and more resilient body, a more focused mind, and more delight in our lives.
There are so many fun ways to be more active without over stressing your body and potentially hampering your fertility (more on that here.) And each of us enjoys something different. So get out there, find what you love, and do what you love. If you need some new ideas, just take a look below for 110 ways to fit fun fitness into your day for more energy and more bliss.
110 Ways to Stay Fit While Having Fun
Invert, fly, and overcome your fear of heights at an aerial yoga class.
Grab your helmet and go biking.
Be one with the water at a swimming pool, lake, river, or ocean. Just go swimming.
Stretch, tone, and breathe; take a yoga class.
A rousing game of chase
Play with kids
Walk a dog. It doesn't have to be yours to reap the benefits.
Go for a hike
Take a pilates class.
Gymnastics. Google "adult gymnastics or tumbling classes in my area" to find a class.
Golf. Carry your clubs and walk between holes instead of renting a cart.
Hop on a trampoline.
Go out dancing.
Belly dance
Adult Recess- swing from the monkey bars, play tether ball, just have fun.
Shoot some hoops
Play tennis, racquet ball, or badminton (Fun fact: my mom was a state badminton champ in high school. I was not; we'll just leave it at that...)
Get your hands dirty by going outside to do some gardening
Window shop; burn a hole in your shoes not your wallet.
Be a tourist in your city; go sight seeing
Aerobicize
Cheerlead. There are cheer based workout popping up all over the place.
Shake and shimmy in a Zumba class
Row, row, row your boat. Go rowing.
Tendu, plie, and pirouett in a ballet class.
One word: Tango.
Jazz hands! Take a jazz dance class
Get your stomp on. Learn to tap dance.
Take your meditation on the road by going for a meditative walk. Kaiser Permanente and Health Journeys have some free guided meditations you can listen to while you walk. Download them here.
Try a scavenger hunt. The Bronx Zoo scavenger hunt was soooo much fun. If you're ever in NYC, do it.
Combine your love for animals with a walk, walk around the zoo.
Be the change. Volunteer to plant trees.
Make it a better place for the little ones. Volunteer for playground or neighborhood clean up.
Hit the slopes, go skiing or snowboarding.
Or maybe try snowshoeing.
There's always sledding.
Take a trip down memory lane and roll down hills.
Spend the day walking around museums.
Play shuffle board.
Take it old school and play hopscotch.
Jump rope or if you're more coordinated than my elementary school self, play double dutch.
Roll those hips and hula hoop.
Train for the circus by taking an aerial arts class.
So you think you can dance? Take a contemporary dance class or just turn on some Enya and sway...
In line or quad skating
Ice skating
Skate boarding
Ride a scooter to work.
Go surfing.
Try paddle boarding.
Kick the ball around; play soccer.
Hockey, a sport I know nothing about.
Flag football can be fun.
Play baseball or t-ball.
Serve it like a champ, play volleyball.
Turn on music while cleaning your house and dance.
Practice chair yoga at your desk.
Rope your buddy or significant other into trying partner yoga with you.
Twerk, werk, and all that good stuff at a hip hop dance class. Remind me to review Robin Dunn's class at Ailey. Amazing!
Get your heart pumping, Carnival style with a samba class. You will sweat. You will smile.
Volunteer to be a part of a parade.
Do something good for our furry four legged friends. Volunteer with an animal shelter to wash or walk the animals.
Wash your car with a friend or maybe even be a gem and wash your friend's car.
Have a water gun or water balloon fight.
Deep clean your garage.
Swing on a swing.
Slide down a slide (the ladder climb is where the real workout lies.)
Go to a water park.
Go to an amusement park.
Go to a carnival.
Walk around a farmers market.
Have a pillow fight.
Climb a tree.
Watch your favorite old music videos (thanks YouTube!) and try to do the choreography.
Have a dance break in the middle of the day just 'cuz.
Pay homage to the 80s and 90s by kicking around a hacky sack.
Play tag.
Throw (and catch) a frisbee.
Pick your own produce or flowers at a farm.
Score a deal and walk to your hearts content at a large swap meet aka an outdoor bazaar aka a flea market.
Be a ninja and take on an obstacle course.
Play hide and seek.
Learn to fight back at a self defense class.
Tie yourself in knots in a game of twister.
Sign up for a photography walk.
Register for an urban foraging class.
Take a walking tour of your city.
Fly through the air with ease on the flying trapeze.
Spin, climb, and body roll with the best of them at a pole dancing class.
Bring sexy back with a burlesque class.
Try a calves burning barre class.
Paint a room. Climbing up and down that ladder and using that roller are a serious workout.
Redecorating. Have you ever moved furniture? Seriously, it's hard.
Make snow angels.
Have a ball having a snowball fight.
Try tai chi (the most deceptively challenging class I have ever taken.)
Join an adult sports league.
Poke your friends in real life (does anyone actually use the poke feature on Facebook?) Try fencing.
Try any form of martial arts.
Burn off some steam with kickboxing.
Play an active video game.
Go for a jog (if you like that kind of thing.)
Go bowling.
Be a kid again and play kick ball.
Round up your friends and play dodge ball.
Skip everywhere instead of walking (yes, you will look strange, but you will have so much fun!)
Try a new fitness class, any new class.
Balle balle! Take a Masala Bhangra class.
If you give any of these a go, please let me know. Have some fun fitness suggestions? Share below.
Be well and have fun!
