After a long day's work, coming home and thinking of doing more work with an exercise program is not very appealing to many of us. Coming home and playing may sound a little more fun and enjoyable. So should your exercise program be work or play? Actually a little of both; lets look at the definition of both and see why and how to get a little of both to make our exercise program enjoyable and effective for us.Play can be defined as any exercise or activity for amusement or recreation through brisk, light or changing movements or actions. Play has no inherent survival needs and is pleasurable and fun. Work, on the other hand, is an exertion or effort directed to produce or accomplish something. Work is often done under the stress of need, has clear goals or purposes, and is usually not much fun. Play is by definition more exploratory and open ended than work. Work is more defined and goal directed.
So lets look at why our exercise probably needs to be a little of both. If you approach your exercise with an overly serious mindset that can create inappropriate stress. You then activate a brain pattern that is not conductive to long term use as your brain and subsequent behavior will work to avoid this activity. If your exercise is fun, you have a better chance of making it productive and continuing long term. Play actual stimulates many different parts of the brain and actually enhances brain activity and growth. If your exercise is only playful and does not stress the body at all it will not physiologically, from a muscular and cardiovascular system, see as much improvement for improved health. Your body will adapt to stresses placed upon it. So small gradual stresses will allow your body to slowly and appropriately adapt and improve in its muscular and cardiovascular systems. By applying a little work with your exercise program it will help you achieve your health goals and allow you a method to measure your progress.
So if your exercise has some component of play you will more likely stick with it and create an environment that your brain will more likely allow you to continue long term. And if you apply a little work with it you can slowly challenge your muscular and cardiovascular systems to improve your overall health.
