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The Power of Fun: Celebrate Enjoyable Ways To Be Active!

Make FUN your focus & forget you're exercising.

When you think of the word “exercise”—What usually comes to mind? For many people the reaction is immediate, and negative. Words like leotards, aerobics classes, sweating, embarrassment, and pain come up. Physical activity is simply moving your body.

When you think of children playing, what images come to mind? Do they worry about their “target heart rate”? Aerobic zone? Frequency/intensity/time-duration?

NO! You can’t get them to stop. Do they just have ONE fun activity, or several planned? Remember back: tag games, tether ball, monkey bars, jump rope, skate boards, scooter with wheels, bikes, skipping and hop scotch, making mud pies, damming up water flowing down the sides of a street, and many other creative ways to MOVE!
 

To help change our attitude about "being active" it is helpful to focus on what we ENJOY doing. Now, thinking back to your childhood—What activities did you enjoy?  How about now?  Do you ever wonder what has changed? First, to help us out, we might want to EXERCISE OUR IMAGINATION! MAKING FUN YOUR FOCUS—AND FORGETTING THAT YOU’RE EXERCISING!

• Take your kids (or your dog!) for a nature walk.

• Compete in a sport you enjoy.

• Play Frisbee or hide-and-seek with your kids.

• Show off your dog and delight him with a walk.

• Grow  your own delicious vegetable or beautiful flower garden, or participate in a community garden.

• Go to the malls before they open in the morning and window shop (leave your credit cards at home!).

• Plan a walk to visit with a friend. You could bring along healthy snacks and water to drink!

• Participate in a hiking or biking club or find your own path.

• Try in-line skating, a romantic walk, or dancing for a date.

• Encourage or instruct your child in a sport.

• Dance to your favorite music or take lessons.

To Celebrate Physical Activity for You and Your Family visit:
For information about physical activity and health
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/index.htm
 

Pictures Below Show the Many Ways I Embrace An Active Style of Living!

(Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.)

Get Happy About The Joys Of Being Active!	Having FUN Making Things Bloom!	Portland, the City Of Roses!
The Side Yard I come from two generations of gardeners. You can see my mother's mother's bird bath.	The Side Yard You can see my father's mother's bird bath. Mary blessing the world!	Oh, Spring Time! In the yard there are about 50 rhododendrons, azelas, and camelias. See also a pink Dogwood tree.
My Jazzercise Group Check-In Oh, was this FUN!	Friends Out Hiking	Wild Flowers on Mount Hood
Zig Zag Canyon on Mount Hood	Paradise Park on Mount Hood Ah, REST after a hike!	Smith Rocks Area Oh, what FUN to wander around!
Smith Rocks Area	Bob in Hoh River Rain Forest 50-pound back pack.	Mount Jefferson Experience fields of wild flowers!
Clackamas River Trail Area I LOVE nature!	Clackamas River Trail Area	Bob at Goat Rocks Wilderness Area I never would have been able to go here if I was still overweight. I'm SO grateful I lost the weight!
A Friend Hiking in a Rain Forest	Salmon River I LOVE this place	Salmon River Oh, what a PLEASURE to camp here!

All images are copyright © by Bob Wilson

Explore around Frolic In Nature!

What Is Bob’s Regular Workout?

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