Why so serious?

Why is it that being fit and healthy has to be taken so seriously?  Why do people view training as a chore, instead of a hobby?  To be honest, I think personal trainers need to take the blame for this.  Especially TV trainers.  Barking orders, refusing to accept excuses, yelling loud & often…. I find watching Jamie Oliver smile and chat while he cooks up a storm far more inspiring.

So let’s make a change.  We don’t need to train like Olympians and live on protein and salad.  We don’t need juice detoxes or boot camps.  We just need to find new ways to be healthy-ish and have fun while we’re at it.

Here are some ideas on how to inject some fun into your food & fitness:

1. Freaky Fruit Friday: Each Friday, try a fruit you’ve never eaten before.  This is even better if you have kids.  I dare you to feed them durian.
2. Buddy up: It’s an oldie, but a goodie.  Training with a friend is so much more fun, even if it’s only once or twice a week.
3. Mystery box: Ask your partner/kids/friends to cook for you, but you choose the (healthy) ingredients.  This also works the other way around, in case you don’t trust their cooking ability….
4. Get social: A game of netball, touch, frisbee…. something that doesn’t feel like the usual grind.
5. Hide & seek, find & eat:  This is great for binge eaters.  Eat one tim tam, or whatever your vice is, then ask someone who lives with you to hide the packet.  You can’t have another one until you find them.
6. Games vs drinks: Are you tired of the same old sedate drinks & snacks? Especially in the lead up to Christmas.  If you’re hosting an event, why not switch it to a games day?  Twister, tag, leap frog, egg & spoon, sack races, 3-legged races – the list goes on.

We need to wash this feast of fun down with a little dose of reality.  Want to look like Michelle Bridges?  You need to prioritise training over anything and everything, consistently eat a clean diet, restrict yourself at every social event, only occasionally sip a glass of red and keep this up for life…. sound like fun?  Maybe not.  So why not do the best that your lifestyle and commitments allow, have fun with your food and fitness and appreciate all that your body does for you.  You’re far more than just a reflection in the mirror.