If it is fun to do is it exercise?

Since I've spent the last two posts speaking about sweets, my inner critic is telling me I should focus on some exercise. This has always been a tricky thing for me. I am not a person who enjoys going to the gym, the exception being for a private pilates reformer session. For me a fun workout requires tricking my self to believe what I'm doing is not exercise. Then once I get in the habit, doing things like going to the gym is much easier and not so painful,  Here a few examples of my favorites:

Walking around the lake with a friend: Yes, its a two plus mile walk with hills, but I see it as catch up time with my friend. Or take the dog for a walk, you have to do it, you might as well enjoy it and give yourself some credit

Take the kids to the playground.... and play with them. Like me & don't have kids yet?... I take my nephews or help my friends out by babysitting for an afternoon. They get a break and I get some fun & exercise. You'll do more running around & chasing than you think you will. Pushing kids on a swing is a good workout for your arms too.

Dance classes: If anyone has ever told you dancing isn't exercise, they haven't tried it. Ballrrom & latin dancing is quite the workout, so is belly dancing. Both are a lot of fun & a great way to make new friends or even sometimes find that special someone you've been looking for

• Yoga:  A good class is always nice, but you don't have to spend any money to do yoga at home. I use it as an opportunity for some wonderful quiet time for myself. I also love stretching out tight muscles. When I'm done, I feel more relaxed & focused.  Its a great way for me to start the morning. If I do yoga at night, I treat myself to a nice long Savasana at the end, which helps me to fall asleep feeling very relaxed without a care in the world.  
• Video Games: sounds crazy right? So many games are now geared to get people moving since we lead such sedentary lifestyles now.  A friend of mine lost some weight just by playing Dance Dance Revolution on his xbox for about 15-20 minutes a day. I tried it on my playstation, its exhausting, but silly fun.  With the introduction of the Wii gaming system, there are a ton of fitness games available. 

The hardest part of exercise is always getting motivated enough to get started, even when it is fun. Just remember what Lao- Tzu Said, "A Journey of a Thousand Miles Must Begin with a Single step."