So you want to get fit and in shape again, maybe you even want to lose weight and have been considering going on a diet. Well, before you go down the traditional road of restricted calorie diets and hours of boring time on the treadmill read what I have to say first. I want to help you reach your fitness goals the fun way! When something is fun it is never a pain in the butt to do so you are more likely to adhere to it than if the activity bores you.

Think back to when you were a kid, what sports or activities did you enjoy? Were you into team sports like soccer, hockey or football or were you more of a solitary athlete and into running, swimming or wrestling? The sports or activities that start coming to mind are the ones you must consider getting back into. If you were loved soccer in high school, why can't you play it now? In fact why don't you?

It has been shown that people work much harder playing sports than they do at the gym. Think about the mindless time you have spent at the gym staring at a TV screen with no volume and working away at going no where. How fun was that? Not very I bet and certainly less fun than playing street hockey for example.

So, step number one to making fitness fun is to list four sports you would like to start playing again. Perhaps it is soccer, hockey, football and swimming. Now go through your community listing and look for recreational league listing for these sports. Usually the YMCA or community center will have great information. Now, choose what activities you plan to do then, call a friend.

Starting an exercise plan is always easier and more fun with a friend. And if you call them with this great idea to start playing touch football again, they just might be excited too! Once you have picked your sports and convinced a friend to join you, it is time to get ready to play!

If you have been inactive for a long period of time, you can't just jump into a soccer game unless you like getting hurt. You need to prepare the body for physical exercise again. To do, start by going for walks and bike rides with your fitness buddy. Take it easy at first and just focus on breaking the body in. As light exercise becomes easy, start pushing it until your walks are more like jobs and your bike rides involve some hills and sprints.

Next, learn to exercise at home. Buy a fitness book or video and learn exercises to help you with mobiltiy, flexibility, strenght and conditioning. Train pretty much daily for a few weeks and really try to get fit and strong. Again, if you can exercise with your fitness buddy it will make this more fun. I like to train at home, in the backyard with the music blasting. It is a great time! The reason I say train at home is because so many people tell me they don't have time to go to the gym. Well, you always have time to go home, so you may as well exercise there!

Now that you are on your way to being fit, it is time to start those sports you were interested in. Luckily you already worked hard and are ready for real exertion. Once you have joined the team, take it seriously. Play hard, run fast, fight for those balls. Go all out like you did when you were young. Yes it is just for fun, but the harder you play the more fun it will be. Also, the harder you play the more calories you will burn!

Once you are going full steam ahead your new fun fitness regime should look something like this:
Sports Team/Activity 2-3 times per week, plus
Gym or home Exercise 2-3 times per week, plus
A nice long walk 1 time per week.

Before you know it you are exercising every day but always doing something different and being very social! A friend of mine got into triathelons and he loves it. He trains with people all the time, competes with friends and has met all kinds of great people. Sports and fitness should be fun not dreary so find activities you like and go out there and get in shape!