How to Lose Weight by Playing More ?

It’s January and nearly everyone has dreams of New Year’s Resolutions dancing in their heads. For many of us, we resolve to finally do something about that extra weight we’ve been carrying around. But how to go about it? You could join a fitness club, hire a personal trainer or join a diet center. All of these can be costly attempts to meet your goal, which may not prove successful in the long run. You could also opt for gastric bypass surgery, but this is a dangerous, expensive surgery that is only available to the super-obese. If none of these options appeal to you, I have one simple suggestion for you:

Play More!

It doesn’t really matter what kind of play you engage in, so long as you are doing it. It can be simple. Go out in the backyard with your kids and kick a soccer ball around. Toss a football or baseball or play hide-and-go-seek. Running around with kids is fun, energizing, and a great way to get some exercise. If you’re really out of shape, you’ll even be giving the kids an ego-boost…think about how proud they’ll be of themselves to be able to outrun a grown-up!

If you don’t have any kids of your own or some you can borrow from your sister or neighbor, you may have to find another way to play. I’m not suggesting that you head down to your local playground and gather some there; this makes the moms nervous and could land you in a lot of trouble. Rather, go see what the other adults are doing. Is there a pick-up game of basketball going on? Join in. You’ll get some exercise, have fun, and you might find that you’re not in as bad a shape as you thought. You might do well enough to have the courage to show your face again, and you’ll have even more fun.

If you’re not the joiner-type, ask a few of your own friends to come along to shoot some hoops, toss a Frisbee or other such activity. Getting out and playing with your friends, no matter what your age, is fun, good exercise and it’s mentally stimulating as well. It also improves your relationships; having fun together by playing improves communication skills and builds cooperation. If you’re really motivated, try joining a sports league – most towns and cities have volleyball, baseball, softball, and basketball leagues. Many also offer football and soccer leagues for adults to participate in.

Of course, you can always play alone. Roller-blading, walking, jogging and swimming are all activities that you can engage in outdoors that can help you lose weight while playing. Anything you do should have an element of fun, and playing with kids, other adults, your friends, or even alone are all great ways to get fit and lose weight. So lace up those sneaks and get to it!