Exercise Can Be Fun?
 
 
The word 'exercise' comes from the mid-14th century, an Old French noun meaning "condition of being in active operation" which is derived from the Latin 'exercitium', basically meaning to "keep busy, drive on". For many people, at the strike of midnight on January 1st, the word 'exercise' is something that is said with a smile and willful commitment albeit with a flagging discontented niggling at the back of their minds of not really wanting to do it.

And there, ladies and gentlemen, lies the problem.  For many people, exercise is something that they just don't want to do.  Sure, the reasoning for exercise is strong and sensible, the wanting to feel and look better, younger, and to have more strength and energy is a goal--even the thought of the independent time during exercising is an attractive thought.  But alas, the daily effort of achieving the desired goal, doing the means to reach the ends, is just not very much fun.

The benefits of exercising have been known since the time of Marcus Cicero, around 65 B.C.  At the time he stated that "It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor."  But he was probably considered a quack at the time because it wasn't until the mid-20th century that a link between a healthy individual and exercise was discovered by a team of doctors.

In spite of the now common knowledge that exercise is very beneficial for the body, mind, spirit, and white sock industry, many people still see it as a four letter word that is called "pain".  It hurts to start exercising.  It hurts, it's sweaty, it's disappointing, it hurts, it's time consuming, it can be expensive, it hurts, and it's just not real fun.

But it could be fun.  Heck, it should be fun.  If you want to, or have to exercise, why not make it enjoyable?  If you've got to do it, why not have fun at it?  Think about it: The activities that we humans do that are fun are what we enjoy doing.  If going to work was not fun, would we do it?  Oh, wait, that's not a very good example at all.  How about if going bowling wasn't fun, would you do it?  How about going out to dinner?  If eating in a restaurant was horrific and painful, who would make an effort to dress up, fight the traffic, sit in a building with a lot of other people, eat food, and then pay for it? 

The same can be said for exercising.  Don't "Just Do It", instead, "Just Have Fun Doing It".  Go ahead and dance to the oldies, skip a rope, walk along a country road, play Wii, enjoy a game of softball, throw a ball and roll a hoop.  Do anything that moves you both physically and mentally.  Exercise is more than a military basic training regime.  Exercise is what YOU make it.  From rolling a boat to rolling a bowling ball, it doesn't matter, just do it with a smile on your face and a happier, healthier heart in your chest.

Talking about fun, why not make Rehabmart  your center for exercise fun?  We have hundreds of choices of exercise equipment which can mean hundreds of smiles and pounds lost for the New Years Resolutionists among us.   The following are just a few of the many fun exercise products offered by Rehabmart.


   From library.rehabmart.com    A fun way to get lean is with this Personal Rebounder Trampoline.  This springy round trampoline has a welded steel frame construction and a standard weight capacity of 175 pounds, but it can hold up to 225 pounds.

 
   From library.rehabmart.com    The MoonRocker is not David Bowie's 'Major Tom Space Odyssey' but an exercise stepper that is a versatile and strong aerobic stimulator that will help you tone your skin texture, lose weight and burn calories, firm hips, thighs, and strengthen your knees.  It also includes a LCD pedometer, a total repetitions counter, will tell you how many calories you burn, and has a workout timer display.

 
   From library.rehabmart.com    Use some good, good, GOOD vibrations to lose weight!  The OSCI Health Vibration Exercise Machine combines the tonic reflex principles of 'Whole Body Vibration' with isometric contraction movements.  With 30 different speed settings, the vibrations operate within the optimal frequency parameters which has been proven to improve circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid, stimulate and massage tired muscles, increase bone density, and decrease joint pain while at the same time increasing muscle tone and strength while burning fat.
 
People who have problems with their legs and have a difficult time standing to exercise can use the P44 Stepper Exercise Machine.  This will quickly and easily attach to most chairs or wheelchairs.  This machine can provide non-weight bearing, cardio isotonic rehabilitation and exercise of the legs to people who are limited to a recumbent, seated position and who cannot use other types of equipment. 
 
   From library.rehabmart.com   

The major benefit of this machine is that the legs are independent of each other, allowing for different stroke lengths, rates, and resistive forces to be set for each leg.  The advantage of the stepper compared to a cycle is that it can accommodate a decreased knee range or motion, whereas a cycle demands at least 110 degrees to complete the circle.
 
Lastly, running, jumping, climbing, and sliding, combined with a child's imagination of damsels in distress while locked in towers, or of barbarians clamoring at the fort gates is some great exercise.  Sure, old refrigerator boxes can become a fort until the first heavy rain falls from the sky but a Fort LIvingston Playground Set can be the 'cat's meow' or the 'bee's knees', or whatever the kids are saying these days.
 
   From library.rehabmart.com

This playground is made with commercial-grade heavy duty plastic, strong enough for adults to play on but also amazingly lightweight, and can easily be moved.  It is very low maintenance and eliminates the problems that are associated with wood playgrounds.  It is also a modular system which allows you to start with any size and expand it as the child grows.  This Fort Livingston has an 83 inch straight tube crawl tunnel which is 30 inches in diameter.  Other features and additions include two decks, 3 feet and 5 feet high, to slides of 6 feet and 10 feet long, plus one 4-crayon tower, one 6-crayon tower, two pyramid roofs, two mouse holes, one slotted panel, a choice of either a periscope panel or a steering wheel panel, molded steps to the 3 foot deck, a short vertical climber from the 3 foot deck to the 5 foot deck, and one fireman's pole to get down from the 5 foot deck.  And it won't melt in the rain!

So now is the time of year to follow through with your New Year's 'Exercise Resolution' and enjoy it too!  Don't worry, be happy while bouncing on a trampoline, rocking on the moon, shaking and shifting while vibrating, or climbing through a Pirates fort, as long as you have fun doing it and lose weight too!


Bill Stock
Library Editor for Rehabmart
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO