When we’re constantly flooded with phrases like “get beach body ready” and stories of people signing up for gruelling, impressive fitness goals such as running the London marathon, it can feel easy for us who don’t like exercise to feel like the world of fitness and exercise just isn’t made for us.
I know that for myself, as a dyspraxic person, it can feel hard to fit in with all of this when on a good day, I can barely walk in a straight line and my joints are inherently quite weak.
The thing is, though, exercise is for everybody, not just those that excel at it and it doesn’t need to have a purpose beyond the absolute joy of movement. Endorphins are not limited to those who can push their bodies to the limit, we’re all entitled to them and can get them from much more gentle exercise.
If this sounds like a bit of you, read on.
Exercises just for the joy of movement
Sex
Sorry. I couldn’t ignore the obvious one. Sex will burn calories and yes, help with your fitness levels but more than that, sex is fun. Whether you’re a big fan of keeping it simple or like to try a new position every other week, sex absolutely counts as joyful movement and even if you don’t orgasm, you’ll still benefit from essential feel-good hormones.
Geocaching
Listen, it’s a bit old school and it won’t be for everyone but if you’re prepared to get nerdy, geocaching is a great way to get movement in without focusing on exercise. Instead, you and your kids or pals can enjoy finding geocaches all around your local parks and streets.
If you’re not familiar, Geocaching is almost like an international game of hide-and-seek. According to the Geocaching Association of Great Britain: “Geocaching (pronounced geo-kash-ing) is a worldwide outdoor treasure hunting game that encompasses all of the above and much more. There are over 3 million geocaches hidden worldwide and over 5 million people who play the game.”
This has been done in various ways since the introduction of geocaching back in 2000 but now, you just need to download a free app!
Learn more about how to take part here.
Motion-controlled video games
With advances in video games reaching the heights that they have, they can no longer be associated with being a couch potato! Whether you’re playing with VR headsets at home or a local arcade or just playing dance-based games, fun is the goal and you control how much you do!
The Gamer has listed their top motion-controlled video games including Mario and Just Dance, if you’re looking for inspiration!
Crazy golf
Not just for awkward first dates, crazy golf moves a lot of the body without putting any real pressure on it and thankfully, being terrible at it kind of makes it more fun? With crazy golf spots popping up in cities across the UK, you could easily spend an afternoon playing with a partner, friends, or even your kids.
If you’re rolling your eyes at the thought of crazy golf, rest assured that times have changed and it is no longer just a disintegrating course on a beachfront. Instead, there are franchises like Golf Fang which have live DJs, themed courses and even serve food.
Joyful movement will help to reshape your relationship with exercise
Nutritionist and joyful movement expert Sarah Glinski said: “Joyful movement is the polar opposite of exercising to change your body. Rather than being a tool used to manipulate, it’s a way of exercising that can create joy and pleasure.
“It’s about shifting your mindset from seeing exercise as a punishment and something you have to do, to seeing exercise for all of the amazing benefits it can give you.”
Glinski also said: “One of the best things about joyful movement is that it helps us let go of the “all-or-nothing” way of thinking that is often drilled into us by diet culture.”