Have Fun, Get Fit, Weight Loss Success Tip

Walking is one of the best exercises you can do. It is easy, available to just about everyone, and cheap.

Make sure you have good walking shoes and dress for the weather...this time of year it is cold in Colorado so I wear earmuffs and mittens along with my layers of sweatshirt and light coat. I like to dress in layers so if I want to peel one off, or just unzip a bit I have that option.

I love walking outdoors...I find places that give me a lot of pleasure...I like looking at ponds and wildlife, peoples' gardens, although this time of year that is not as exciting as it will be in another couple of months. I enjoy seeing the clear blue sky, the snow capped mountains, hearing the geese as they honk and fly overhead. I thrill at the romping dogs or kids playing in the park or school grounds.

Find a couple routes that give you pleasure.

And speaking of dogs...if you have one, take him or her along...it will give both of you exercise and a lot of pleasure. If you don't have one...well...maybe this isn't a good enough reason all by itself to get a dog, but a study conducted in Great Britain indicates that dog owners happily get more exercise in--just from walking their dogs than people who use a gym or workout on their own!

So if the main reason you are not getting a dog is financial, maybe you should save the gym fees and get a four-legged exercise buddy! I guarantee you'll get a lot more love from your canine companion than the gym!

Back to the study...they showed that dog owners actually got in up to 6 hours more exercise every week than the gym goers. Interesting...why is that? Because they were having fun!

Here's the bottom line, if you are forcing yourself to exercise because you "should," then you probably aren't having a lot of fun with it. Remember being a kid and you had recess? You ran and played and had loads of fun...and got lots of exercise from that playing.

The best exercise for losing weight is one where you have fun! Whether that is by walking your dog, playing with the kids, dancing to music, or just enjoying being out in nature be sure to include some fun in your exercise routine and you will be more apt to keep at it!