Make Exercise Fun Through Play!

It’s true, adults benefit from play! More gyms and trainers are incorporating play into their programs because research shows that grownups are never too old to reap the rewards of youthful movement. Play is all-important for a healthy aging process.

There’s an abundance of rewards adults may reap through play:

• Reduces stress/worrying
• Increases endorphins/lifts mood/greater joy
• Stimulates nerve growth in parts of the brain that process emotions
• Greatly enhances energy levels
• Better agility and proprioception (perception or awareness of body position and movement)
• May lower risk of developing dementia and increase cognitive reserves

There are so many ways adults can play! Take a dance class or sign up for an obstacle mud race. Do an activity that makes you feel like a kid such as jump roping, twirling a hula hoop around your waist or hopping on your bike that’s been sitting in the garage collecting dust! If you are at the park with your kids or grandkids, go across the monkey bars or swing. If you’re at the beach, make a game of jumping across tidepools! Pick up your tennis racquet and go hit a few balls or organize a pickup game of basketball. Grab a friend and take a hike making sure you jump over rocks and walk across logs. Do an activity that you did as a youth and you will have fun. We guarantee if you start skipping, you will crack a smile without even trying! We’ve seen this over and over again with our clients.

We love incorporating youthful movements into our clients’ personal training sessions! We want clients to get an awesome workout and like to see a smile on their face upon completion. ZenRock’s trainers at our Bellevue and Redmond studios love to have fun and can work with you to integrate playful movements and exercises based on your goals.

We’ve found that when adults do movements that they did as a child, they seem to have more energy to work hard while lifting their spirits and reducing stress! Plus, play helps with functional movement better enabling us to handle the daily demands we put on our bodies. Research shows that when people have fun while exercising, they are more likely to continue and reach their fitness goals. Thus, this kidlike behavior is very beneficial both physically and emotionally. So, get out and play folks!