The best exercise

1,000’s of videos are uploaded to youtube everyday titled “the best exercise”.

They’re all wrong.

There’s a better exercise for you.

The best exercise is the one you enjoy doing.

The one that feels like play.

Kids know this instinctively.

They’re more active than adults without “working out”.

Adults forget that fitness can be fun.

I get it.

If you’re not already an active person, moving more can seem like a chore.

But remember the beginning is the hardest part.

Once you start enjoying exercise, you’ll never want to stop.

Consistency comes easy when you enjoy the movement.

Play not only increases compliance but also

-Boosts confidence

-Reduces injury rates

-Enhances performance

What’s the mechanism behind all these benefits?

Play puts you in the flow state.

Time slows down.

Your attention is so tuned into your body and immediate environment.

The work starts to feel effortless.

Fitness isn’t about nailing the perfect workout.

It’s about being present and moving your body consistently.

So how can how we can find more flow?

Here’s my 5 ways to make exercise feel like play:

1. Exercise outside

   When you’re outside you get fresh air, sunlight, and flow state. Get pulled into flow by the novelty and complexity that nature provides.

2. Workout with others Your social environment determines how high you set the bar. Hanging out with active people changes your perspective of how much you should be moving.

3. Go all in on one activity

   In the summer, I play more sports. In the winter, I lift more weights. Giving a fitness goal your time and attention enhances results. You don’t need more effort, you just need a better strategy.

4. Challenge skill sweet spot

   Make exercise too easy and you won’t get results. Make it too hard and you won’t want to show up tomorrow. Challenging your abilities will pull you into the present and enhance performance.

5. Make your workout a game

   Some examples include: beating a running time, distance to throw a med ball, box to jump onto, compete with someone else, run with your kid or dog.

Hope this helps,

Tyler Van Acker, Doctor of PT

PS

Still wondering what’s the best exercise?

The one that’s the most fun.

But there’s even ways to make boring things better.

For example, if you don’t like lifting weights but know you should you could make it more fun by:

Doing it with a friend, competing against yourself, or working out in your backyard.