Dropout-proof Work Outs for People Who Hate to Exercise

Every January, thousands of people commit themselves to ‘get fit’ for the new year. By February, most of us have given up on our new exercise regime. It’s boring, it’s pointless, and it feels like wasting time. We say we’re too lazy to exercise, but that’s not true. We just need our sweat to have a purpose. It’s time to find a new motivation. Until recently, humans kept fit because our life required it. Need was the motivation – the need to eat, the need for shelter, the need for safety. But what’s our motivation now?

Exercise for lazy people is really about finding a meaningful motivation to move. So what’s the right motivation? Helping others! Volunteering is the key to maintaining an exercise routine. With this in mind, I offer a few ideas of what sort of volunteering is appropriate to keep you moving and get fit.

Exercise is moving. So volunteering to answer phones is not a good choice. What are some good volunteer opportunities to encourage exercise for lazy people?

Habitat for Humanity builds houses for low income people. When you are building houses, you dig, lift, and carry things. This is exercise. But it’s exercise with a purpose – your sweat offers a family the chance to have a secure roof over their heads. Instead of running aimlessly around the park, why not donate your time to help build a house?

If you love animals, there are always opportunities at animal shelters. But cuddling puppies isn’t going to get your heart going. To reap the exercise benefit, why not volunteer to unload and store supply deliveries or exercise and socialize the animals? Cleaning out stalls and kennels is not very pleasant but it is a valuable use of time and can build up a sweat, as does building and repairing kennels and shelters.

Do you like old people? Whether they’re ensconced in nursing homes or living independently, help is needed. Contact your local nursing home to find out if they could use a gardening volunteer. Many elderly people are living alone and need help – with repairs, with gardening, or with moving things around in their house. That’s exercise, and you certainly wouldn’t back out of the exercise program when there’s a grandma waiting for your help!

Community centers or parks are also full of opportunity. Maybe they need a new walkway put in, someone to trim the trees, or haul off junk. That will get your heart moving – all you have to do is ask, “what can I do?” Nobody there will call you lazy!

If every time you’ve started an exercise program you got bored, volunteering might be the key to your lifelong fitness program. Nobody minds a little sweat or muscle burn when the result is a real improvement in your world. Opportunities are everywhere you look – put up a sign at your community center or ask at a local church – just remember that you’ve got to choose an activity that keeps you moving.