I love working out…when I’m at the gym. Getting to the gym is the hard part for me. Its very difficult for me to get motivated to get off my but and drive to the gym. Once I’m there, I love it and usually have a great workout. For me to get some sort of workout on a day-to-day basis, I have to create an activity and not think about the monotony of treadmills or bench presses that are always present at the gym.

I’ve found that going on a walk or a quick bike ride is just as rewarding as a session at the gym. It may even be more rewarding cause I am walking or riding bikes with my wife and we can enjoy each others company. I also enjoy it more because it gives my brain, not just my body, greater stimulation. I’m outdoors, I hear the city all around me. I see things that I could never see being inside the gym.

For me, its more about the environment that I’m in and not as much about the physical activity. Lifting weights and jogging on the treadmill might be a better choice for exercise but walking in my neighborhood or taking a leisurely stroll on my bike is better for my brain, in addition to the physical stimulus.

Being active is an important part of weight loss, but you need to enjoy it for it to become a habit and part of your lifestyle. If, like me,  you can’t get motivated to go to the gym, consider other forms of activity:

• Walk around the block
• Go on a bike ride
• Play frisbee in the park
• Play tennis
• Shoot baskets
• Play with the dog in the backyard
• Attend free bootcamps like It Burns Joe Fitness (if you are in the Denver Area)

It doesn’t really matter what form of exercise you do, the bottom line is to be active.

Be well. Be active. Feel great.