3 Ways to Infuse Your Fitness With More Fun

One of my favorite ways to help my clients?

Supporting them to shift their mindset about fitness from a “no-pain-no-gain”, “whip yourself into shape”, punishing energy…

To an energy of infusing FUN into their fitness routine!

The more you pair Fitness with Fun, the more you’ll LOVE moving your body, and the more you’ll love your overall health! 

To help you with this journey today, here are 3 proven ways to infuse more fun into your fitness :-).

#1. Remember to do what brings you life

Do what you LOVE. If you love to get outside and get some fresh air, then do that. Take a stroll around the block or a gentle hike, and/or a light jog. The rule here is, as long as you feel better, lighter, and more energized at the end, the better.

For example, I love yoga, nature walks with my dog, and conscious dance!

The key here is that none of those movements make me feel like my body has to be shaped – carved – or trained. Instead, it encourages me to listen to my body rather than push it beyond what feels life giving, and then enjoy the movements that emerge naturally!

And if you have a desire to be even more healthy, fit, and energized, well into your nineties and beyond, learning to trust your innate wisdom will set you up for success!

#2. Small bursts of movement are better than none

Even if you think you don’t have the time, I encourage you to do something FUN even for 5 minutes. 

This is crucial because our lymph system uses the movement of our muscles to pass toxins out of the body.

And with an increasingly digital world where sedentary lifestyles are easier than ever, conscious movement is more essential than ever! 

To start incorporating more activity and fun into your daily routine, I recommend infusing some stretching throughout the day, walks outside (get that fresh air!) or even 5 minutes of dancing.

Above all, remember that your body is wired for vibrant, radiant health.

In the words of Ruth St. Dennis, the grandmother of modern dance:

“Our bodies are a transmitting station for ALL of life.”

Your body isn’t just flesh waiting to be carved and chiseled.

You are a wise being with the power to infuse lifelong health and fitness with fun and play!

#3. Bring It All Together With F.U.N.!

One of the greatest gifts that my kids, nieces and nephews have given me is the constant reminder to infuse more fun and play into my life.

We all need more F.U.N., and you can remind yourself what that means by following this acronym:

F – Find what you love vs. forcing what’s unnatural.

If what you love is just to get outside and enjoy nature, maybe even walk around the block – you can let that be enough. You don’t “have to” drag yourself to the gym to pound out “x” amount of push-ups, sit-ups, or any other exercise that doesn’t feel fun.

U – Unlock more energy in less time vs the all or nothing approach.

Experience each and every day as more vibrant, energized, healthy, and fit without feeling the pressure to be perfect or go all-out. There will be days where you may feel like there’s no time, but even 5 minutes of movement is better than none at all!

N – Nourish the body with fun & play vs. NO-PAIN, NO-GAIN.

Our bodies are not meant to be “whipped into shape”, no matter how trendy it is in the fitness world. But an easy way to bring you back to the mentality of fun and play is to remember what you enjoyed during your childhood!

Try a handstand, play on the monkey bars, do cartwheels on the beach, jump rope, get on your bike.

Do more of what brings out the child inside you! Discover whether moving alone or with others lights you up.

You could go to the park and pick up a casual game of hoops with others.

Or take up a group Zumba class, or yoga class. If you have kids, or grandkids, or children in the family, get them involved – they love it.

My biggest tip is for you to know that long term, your mind and body benefit so much more if you are smiling and having fun while getting some fun fitness into your life, than if it’s no fun and feels like ALL work and no play.

Give yourself permission to have fun, to play, and to smile yourself into fitness.

Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you.

Fun And Fitness Can Be Created at All Ages and Stages of Life – Meet These Amazing Women!

When it comes to fun and fitness, a common paradigm is thinking you can only have both while you’re young. 

But that’s far from the truth!

I love to focus on long term fitness for longevity versus short term weight loss goals that don’t last.

Let me share a few stories of fit women past 40 who inspire me to thrive in fitness and my healthy body for a lifetime!

The first of which demonstrates that lifelong health can be both possible and FUN: Grete Brunvoll, Norway’s oldest performing ballerina!

According to Guinness World Records:

“She began dancing at the age of 6 and her first professional performance was at the National Theater in 1945, when she was 15 years old. She is now almost 80 years old and still trains everyday and does regular public performances.”

On top of that, she still teaches ballet school in Oslo and trains every single day – sometimes even twice a day! 

This is just one example of what’s possible for unstoppable, thriving women at any age. 

In fact, I’m sharing three more of my favorite, inspirational women who achieved amazing health and fitness in their golden years:

• Ernestine Shepherd, the oldest competitive female bodybuilder.
• (The late) Tao Porchon-Lynch, named the world’s oldest yoga teacher.
•  And Joan MacDonald from Ontario Canada, who transformed her health and body in her 70’s.

Here are their stories:

1. Ernestine Shepherd 

Ernestine Shepherd wakes up bright and early every morning at 3 AM sharp and literally hits the ground running (or weight-lifting).

And at the age of 79, she is an active personal trainer, professional model, and a competitive bodybuilder. And most importantly, she’s living her most vibrant and thriving life! 

But she didn’t reach this peak from a lifetime of fitness and well-being. In fact, growing up she was never interested in athletics or exercise of any kind and worked as a sedentary school secretary up until the age of 56.

But one day as Ernestine and her sister, Velvet, were shopping for swimwear, they poked fun at each other and realized they wanted to get healthier. Instead of taking it lightheartedly, the pair stuck with it and began exercising together.

However, soon after starting a healthier routine, Velvet died of a brain aneurysm. 

Ernestine was home for months mourning the loss of her sister after this life-changing, devastating event.

But with the encouragement of her friends telling her that Velvet would have wanted her to keep going on her health journey, she radically re-dedicated herself to her physical fitness!

Fast-forward to March of 2010, she was formally given the title of World’s Oldest Performing Female Bodybuilder (by Guinness World Records) on stage in Rome, Italy.

And as a passionate advocate of fitness and body consciousness, she encourages others to listen to their bodies as they gradually challenge their limits. She merits a lot of her success to her:

• Good nutrition (guided by professional nutritionists)
• Supportive husband, family, and friends.
• Proper resting periods.
• Positive mindset.
• Specific vision and goals.
• Belief in her mantra ” Determined — Dedicated — Disciplined To Be Fit”

One of her most popular quotes is that “Age is nothing but a number. But if there were ever an anti-aging pill, I would call it exercise.”

2. Tao Porchon-Lynch

Tao lived a full, vibrant life as the world’s oldest yoga teacher on top of being an entrepreneur, award-winning ballroom dancer, author, and public speaker!

Talk about an UNLIMITED woman!

Those titles took a lifetime of dedication to earn! She started practicing yoga at 8 years old and continued to study with world-renowned teachers over the years.

During her more than 70 years practicing yoga, Tao taught in India, France, Dubai, China, Russia, Hungary, Nassau, Canada, and the United States. Even after three hip replacements, Tao was able to stay active simply, “Because I’m the boss.”

Eventually she opened her own yoga practice in Hartsdale, New York, which ran until she passed away at 101 years old.

Her most prestigious titles were “Guinness World Record’s Oldest Yoga Teacher” and “Oldest Competitive Ballroom Dancer”.

As a passionate advocate for life-long health and wellness, her message is this: 

“I don’t believe in age. When people ask me about age, I tell them to look at all the trees around them. They’re hundreds of years old. They may look as if they’re dying at the moment, but they’re not; they’re recycling themselves. And in a couple of months, they’re going to be reborn again.”

3. Joan MacDonald 

At 70-years-old, Joan MacDonald was on multiple medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and acid reflux and felt helpless and uncomfortable in her own skin. 

Her doctors warned her that her health would deteriorate and they would need to up the dosage unless she made a drastic lifestyle change.

During an interview with Shape, MadDonald shared, “I knew I had to do something different…I had watched my mom go through the same thing, taking medication after medication, and I didn’t want that life for myself.”

So she moved to Tulum, Mexico to improve her health with her daughter Michelle and her husband (both fitness experts).

Today, MacDonald works out five days a week at the gym, where she enjoys cardio, yoga, and weight lifting. 

So far MacDonald has released a total of 62 pounds, and her doctors gave her a clean bill of health. In nine months, she was off all her medications.

But getting to that point took a lot of hard work, consistency, and time.

She shares this powerful message through her life story: 

“Age is just a number, and you don’t always need to be ‘coddled’ through workouts just because you’re in your 70s. We are strong [and] capable of change, but we’re often viewed as fragile…I hope that more women my age embrace being pushed and appreciate that someone is interested in seeing you try harder. Even though you can’t turn back the clock, you can wind it up again.”

Now over to you…

If you’d love to energize your body and increase your fun in all areas of life, I invite you to start with my free Confidence Kit! 

This eBook and guided meditation will set you up for lifelong health by helping you release feelings of unworthiness, deepen unconditional love, and create more health and vitality from the inside out!

…what is your favorite way to infuse fun into your fitness? Please share in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you