The Importance of Doing Exercise that we Enjoy!!

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing," ~George Bernard Shaw

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season and are feeling energized and excited for the year to come. I will preface this particular blog post by letting you all know that I am undergoing some serious jet-lag from my recent travels, so if my sentences seem a bit nonsensical, this is why...

Over the last two weeks, I had the extreme pleasure of visiting my brother in Thailand, where he has been living for the last year. The last week of my stay, we ventured to a small beach town in the south of Thailand, which (unbeknownst to me) is a major rock climbing destination. I am certainly a novice when it comes to climbing, but the week was filled with not only rock climbing but kayaking, swimming, hiking, and (of course) lounging on the beach. As a Personal Trainer working largely in a gym setting, I obviously enjoy and see much value in the types of exercise and activity one can do on a regular basis in a gym, not to mention the convenience factor with the reality that is our busy lives. However, I am a strong believer (and have spent the last week further cementing this belief) that finding forms of exercise that truly bring us joy is absolutely pertinent to both mental and physical health and well-being.

In his book The Primal Blueprint, Mark Sisson discusses the importance of 'play.' Think back to when we were children and we had constant play-dates with our friends. Once we reached teenager-dome, the term 'playing' became markedly uncool, and we instead moved to 'hanging out,' consisting more of sitting around, driving around, etc....what do teenagers do these days? I'm out of the loop. Anyway, the point is that as we become adults, we unfortunately lose this part of our daily activity, the part that sparks creativity and happiness through mental and physical activity that we truly love. Sisson goes on to note:

"As the challenges and responsibilities of making a living or managing a family accumulate in our adult years, we collectively adopt the belief that play is for youth. The truth is that play is for everyone, particularly those absorbed in the incredible complexity and breakneck pace of modern life. Regular play-time away from work, home duties, school, and other scheduled and unscheduled responsibilities-helps quench your thirst for adventure and challenge (physical and mental), improves health, relieves stress, strengthens your connection with friends and community, and simply enhances your enjoyment of life."


Whether you love rock climbing, swimming, walking, taking a tumbling class, rolling around on the floor with your kids, being in a gym (when it gives you pleasure)....never feel guilty making time in your life for simply engaging in physical activity that brings you joy. It is not a luxury, but a necessity.